Annenberg mourns the passing of former Annenberg Dean George Gerbner

Wednesday, January 04, 2006

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The Annenberg School for Communication of the University of Pennsylvania mourns the passing of George Gerbner, who served as the school's second dean from 1964-1989. As Dean, Gerbner spearheaded efforts to make the Annenberg School a national leader in communication research by developing the school's Ph.D. and undergraduate degree programs, and by building a world-class research and teaching faculty. Dr. Gerbner also made significant and lasting contributions to the development of the Communication field. During the 1970s, Gerbner implemented the Cultural Indicators Project, an ongoing study designed to examine television content and its effect on Americans. He served as Editor and Executive Editor of the Journal of Communication, working to establish it as an internationally renowned publication. The Gerbner family has created an "In Memoriam" page for Dr. Gerbner, and his obituary appears in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Washington Post ,the Los Angeles Times , and the New York Times. In lieu of flowers and cards, the Gerbner family requests that friends and colleagues of Professor Gerbner send contributions in support of the Annenberg School. Checks should be made out to The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, and sent care of Julie Sheehan, The Annenberg School for Communication, the University of Pennsylvania, 3620 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6220. A memorial service for Dr. Gerbner will be held on Saturday, April 8 from 2 to 4 at the Annenberg School with a reception to follow. The location for the service will be posted on this page when details are finalized. If you are interested in attending the memorial service, please Contact Debra Williams at the Annenberg School. Please be sure to include your mailing address and contact information.