BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Walter Stuart Towns was born November 6, 1939, at Fort Worth, Texas. In May, 1957, he was graduated from Forrest City, Arkansas, High School. In June, 1961, he received the degree of Bachelor of Arts with a major in speech from the University of Arkansas. In August, 1962, he received the degree of Master of Arts with a major in Speech from the University of Florida. From 1962 until 1964 he served as a Lieutenant in the United States Army with duty stations at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and Fort Sam Houston, Texas. Following his completion of active duty, he was an Instructor in Speech and Coordinator of the Basic Speech Program at the University of Arkansas from 1964 until 1966. In the summer of 1966 he served as Coordinator of Language Arts of the Northwest Arkansas Supplemental Education Center. In September, 1966, he enrolled in the Speech Department at University of Florida to pursue the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. In January, 1968, he became an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Communication Arts at the University of West Florida in Pensacola.

Walter Stuart Towns is married to the former Helen Ruth Smith of Little Rock, Arkansas, and is the father of a son, Stuart Grant Towns. He is a member and former editor of the Florida Speech Communication Association; a member, and Secretary of the Speech Education Interest Group, of the Southern Speech Communication Association; a member of the Speech Communication Association; and a member of the Consulting Faculty of the United States Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.