Penn Annenberg Dean Sarah Banet-Weiser's message on Monroe E. Price's passing
I am writing with a heavy heart to share the news of the passing of Professor Monroe E. Price. Monroe was a vital presence at Annenberg and a deeply influential scholar in the field of international communication. On behalf of our faculty, staff, and students, I extend my heartfelt condolences to his family, his colleagues, and to the many students, collaborators, and friends whose lives were shaped by his work and his generosity.
Monroe joined the Annenberg School for Communication in 2004 and founded the Center for Global Communication Studies in 2006, helping to shape Annenberg’s long-standing commitment to global communication. Under his thoughtful and visionary leadership, CGCS supported research and dialogue that engaged complex social, legal, and political questions across diverse global contexts. This work reflected Monroe’s deep belief that scholarship should remain connected to the world beyond the university and responsive to its most pressing challenges. Although he retired in 2020, his ideas and values continue to guide the work of CARGC and to influence our community in lasting ways.
Beyond Annenberg, Monroe led a remarkable and principled life. He clerked for Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart, helped found the Native American Rights Fund, and worked as a legal advocate before becoming a professor, theorist, and mentor at institutions around the world. He was also a gifted institution builder. He founded the Programme in Comparative Media Law and Policy at the University of Oxford, directed the Stanhope Centre for Communications Policy Research in London, and established the Center for Media, Data and Society at Central European University.
For those who knew him personally, Monroe was a kind, open hearted, and deeply curious person. He approached people with genuine interest and warmth, and even brief encounters often grew into meaningful relationships. His generosity of spirit matched his intellectual seriousness, and both will be deeply missed. While his loss is profound, his presence lives on in our conversations, our commitments, and the work we continue to do together.
I hope we can hold Monroe’s family, friends, students, and colleagues in our thoughts. Our field and our community have lost a remarkable presence, and we remain grateful for all that he shared with us.
Warmly, and in memory,
SBW
Sarah Banet-Weiser, Ph.D.
Walter H. Annenberg Dean
Lauren Berlant Professor of Communication, Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania
Research Professor, Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, University of Southern California
