U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File,

about Michael Pfau

Mike was on the debate team at BHS, and he and I became good friends through that connection. In 1968 Michael joined our family, as he married my sister, Ginger (BHS '64). From then on we enjoyed many family gatherings and celebrations and our kids loved being cousins, even though both of our families moved away from Minnesota.

Uncle Mike was known for his love of Coca-Cola: As a professor at Augustana College, Sioux Falls, S.D., he easily convinced the local Coke distributor to install a soda vending machine/cooler in his faculty office and make regular deliveries to keep an adequate supply on hand. When CocaCola, Inc. made the decision to change the coke formula, Mike sampled the new version and proceeded to spearhead a well orchestrated campaign demanding that they return to the original Coke he loved. It was only a matter of months before he received a surrender letter indicating that he was one of the most persistent and articulate protesters. Once again, Mike could resume the Good Life.

In 1993, Mike and Ginger moved to Madison to join the UW faculty. He grew to love the university and the city. He had leadership responsibilities and could make his mark in many areas. He took great pleasure in assuring that the teaching assistants he supervised learned to be effective in the classroom as well as in their research. On weekends he liked to work in the garden, relax with his dog, watch football, and share relaxing meals with Ginger. However, no matter what day it was, after a bit of socializing or recreation, he quietly gravitated to his office or to his comfy recliner, highlighter in hand and Coke nearby. Any spare time he had was spent reading, grading papers, mentoring graduate students, and writing. He absolutely loved his life and his work.

In 2001 Mike accepted a position as Department Chair at the University of Oklahoma. He learned to get out very early in the morning to do his yard work and to be sure he didn't overwork their golden retriever, Sol, in the heat of the day. Barbecues and pool parties for students and faculty were his forte. He and Ginger grew to love the cloudless blue skies and rolling, green hills of the area. He planned to retire as chair and return to full time teaching at OU, but was diagnosed with lymphoma in January '09 and died in March. We all miss him very much and are thankful for the years we had together. His son, Michael, and his wife and 2 children now live in Duluth, where he teaches in Comm Arts. His daughter, Julie, lives in Philadelphia, where she is a Rabbi and a fulltime graduate student. Despite her preference for the Oklahoma climate, Ginger lives in Duluth and loves being part time nanny for Anika and Callan.  

I added some quotations from online information and also Michael's obituary.
Mike's students have made major contributions in academics, government, the criminal justice system, and community service.  His legacy includes contributing to the education of dozens of professors, attorneys, politicians, journalists, and public servants, including a Minnesota State Supreme Court Justice and a presidential advisor and cabinet member.  Many of these individuals attribute their life choices and accomplishments to Mike's mentoring, support, and belief in their potential.

His obituary and summaries of his publications and awards:
From a debate site:
"Academic Interests: social influence, especially resistance to influence; and mass media influence, particularly in political and health contexts.
Joined University of Oklahoma as Department Chair and Professor after serving 8 years as Professor and the Director of Graduate Studies in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Author/editor of 7 books, most recently, Mediating the Vote: The Changing Media Landscape in U.S. Presidential Campaigns (2007, with J. Brian Houston and Shane M. Semmler), The Persuasion Handbook (2001, with James Dillard) and With Malice toward All? The Media and Public Confidence in Democratic Institutions (2000, with Partricia Moy). Authored or co-authored more than 100 articles and book chapters. Past recipient of NCA's Golden Anniversary Monograph Award and Southern's Rose B. Johnson SCJ Article Award."


From newspapers:
Michael Walton Pfau
Obituary

Pfau, Michael Walton (3/14/45 - 3/12/09) Died in Norman, OK after a brief illness. Michael's life and career expressed his passion for research, argumentation and teaching. After graduating from Bloomington HS, he served in the US Air Force, earned his BA and MA from the University of New Hampshire, and later obtained his PhD from the University of Arizona. Dr. Pfau impacted the lives of countless students - especially those he worked with at Alexander Ramsey HS in Roseville, MN (71-75); Augustana College in Sioux Falls, SD (75-93); the University of Wisconsin in Madison (93-01); the University of Oklahoma (01-09); and a multitude of debate institutes and tournaments. Wherever he taught, he channeled his unflagging energy to motivate and inspire students to reach their goals. He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Ginger Nelson Pfau; son, Michael (Amanda) and grandchildren, Anika and Callan; daughter, Julie Pfau; sisters, Shirlene Merrill and Kelly Kuehn, as well as a multitude of beloved family members, friends, academic colleagues, and former students. He was preceded in death by his parents, Russell and Vivian Pfau. Services at Emmaus Lutheran Church, 8443 2nd Ave S, Bloomington, MN, Wednesday March 18, 11 am. Interment Ft. Snelling National Cemetery. Visitation at Morris Nilsen Chapel 6527 Portland Ave. S., Tuesday March 17, 6-8 pm. So that he will still open doors for students even after his death, memorial contributions may be made to the University of Oklahoma Foundation for the Michael Pfau Scholarship Fund.

This is from a recent article that was published with co-authors:
Chair and Professor, Department of Communication, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
Michael Pfau (Ph.D., University of Arizona, deceased) was the Chair and Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Oklahoma. His research interests concerned the influence of mass media communication and resistance to influence, particularly the uses of inoculation. Pfau co-authored and/or edited seven books. The most recent include: Mediating the Vote: The Changing Media Landscape in U.S. Presidential Campaigns (2007, Rowman and Littlefield) and The Handbook of Persuasion: Theory and Practice (2002, Sage). He authored or co-authored more than 100 journal articles and book chapters. His publications have won the National Communication Association (NCA) Communication and Social Cognition Division’s “Distinguished Book Award” and “Distinguished Article Award,” and NCA’s “Golden Anniversary Monographs Award.”

Jackie Nelson Muehl