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Ochs, Donovan

 Person

Biography

Dr. Emeritus Donovan J. Ochs was born October 2, 1938 in Charles City, Iowa to Joseph and Ardith (Hagarty) Ochs. After graduating from Immaculate Conception High School in Charles City in 1956, he went on to receive his Bachelor of Arts degree from Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa (1960). He then received his Master of Arts (1963) and Doctoral Degrees (1966) from the University of Iowa. He married Joan Walsh on January 27, 1962 with whom he had three children.



Dr. Ochs taught at Loras College, Regis High School in Cedar Rapids, IA, the U.S. Army Base at Fort Leonardwood, MO, the University of California at Davis, CA, the University of Illinois at Champaign, IL, and the University of Iowa. At Iowa he was jointly appointed in both the Department of Rhetoric and the Communication Studies Department from 1967 until his retirement in 1995. After his retirement, he went on to teach classes at the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center in the Henry Tippe College of Business.



Dr. Ochs authored nine books, published over a hundred book chapters, reviews, and journal articles, and presented many papers throughout his academic career. He advised over two dozen students in their doctoral dissertation work, and in 1993, he was awarded the University of Iowa Collegiate Teaching Award.



Apart from teaching, Dr. Ochs served on numerous committees and was active in numerous associations that promoted and developed the study of rhetoric and public speaking. He was an active member of the Iowa Communication Association and served on a number of their committees as well as co-editing The Iowa Journal of Communication. As a member of the Central States Speech Association he served as President from 1982-1983 as well editor for their journal. He was also a member of the Speech Communication Association.



Away from academic life, Dr. Ochs was a passionate outdoorsman with a penchant for fishing, hunting, and gardening. After retirement he volunteered with his community on projects including Solon Community in Action Committee, the Solon Library Building Campaign, and the Solon Library Board of Trustees.

Dr. Donovan Ochs passed away on January 18, 2012 and was survived by his wife, Joan Ochs, and his children, Cindi Ochs, Michelle (William) Kinney, and Daniel (Karen) Ochs, as well as five grandchildren.

Found in 1 Collection or Record:

Papers of Donovan Ochs

 Collection
Identifier: RG99.0057
Scope and Contents

The papers of Donovan Ochs involve his professional career in academics. The collection spans from 1960 with his undergraduate thesis at Loras College until 2012, 17 years after his retirement from his position as a professor at the University of Iowa. The collection includes publications, papers, and presentations from 1960 until 2003. Also included are class materials from his time teaching at the University of California in Davis, CA and at the University of Iowa, such as articles used in various classes, syllabi, and class handouts.

Dates: 1960-2008