Her obituary is available is available here.
Dr. Grusin earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism and English from then Memphis State University, followed by a master’s from the University of Mississippi and a doctorate from Ohio University. She joined the faculty at Memphis in 1988 and retired in 2008 but continued to teach part-time until 2012.
While at Memphis, she taught courses in journalism, news writing, media law and the graduate program. She also was instrumental in the launch of The Teen Appeal, a citywide high school newspaper published in partnership by the University and the Commercial Appeal and funded by Scripps. Grusin also served as co-editor of Newspaper Research Journal for 16 years.
The family of Dr. Grusin requests donations be made to support Journalism and Strategic Media in her name. To donate to the Elinor Kelley Grusin Journalism Alumni Enrichment Fund, please click here.
Below, we share stories, thoughts and notes from Dr. Grusin’s colleagues and former students.
“Elinor Grusin was that rare soul who could be so tough and demanding in the classroom while also showing real kindness and compassion. She was smart, fearless, a natural leader with a spine of steel—yet unfailingly sweet and caring. She mentored everyone in her orbit. Her students all loved her, and her colleagues all felt the same way. A lovely, lovely person. No one had more impact on more current and future journalists in Memphis than she did. She inspired us all.”
- Joe Hayden, professor of journalism
“For more than 25 years, Dr. Elinor Grusin served the Department of Journalism as an amazing teacher, a beloved colleague and a distinguished scholar of media law and journalism practices. Devoted to her students, Elinor was transformation in the lives of many.”
- David Arant, professor emeritus, former department chair
“Elinor was the primary reason I came to the university in 2011. The opportunity to work with someone I had known and long admired was too good to pass up. She also was the catalyst behind the creation of The Teen Appeal high school newspaper. Memphis and the university have lost a treasure.”
- Otis Sanford, professor emeritus and former Hardin Chair of Excellence
“It’s difficult to imagine the sheer scope of the number of truthseekers and newsmakers who were shaped by Dr. Elinor Grusin’s teachings. She deeply understood that empathy and understanding sit at the heart of what we do as both journalists and educators.”
- Casey Hilder, assistant professor of teaching, former student, and inaugural winner of the Elinor Kelley Grusin Writing Award
“Elinor and I worked together from 1988 when she as hired until 2008 when she retired. As a colleague and friend, we shared many memories, but probably one of the longest memories we shared was co-editing Newspaper Research Journal (NRJ) from 2001 to 2017. NRJ is the official publication of the Newspaper and Online News Division of the Association for the Education of Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC). One of our most lasting accomplishments was moving NRJ from being self-published through AEJMC to being a part of SAGE Publications.”
- Sandra Utt, professor emeritus
“I, like many others who came through the journalism department, considered Dr. Grusin a mentor. She was tough — we needed to master the fundamentals and beyond — but she was unfailingly kind. I’ll cherish my memories of her, what she taught me, and the opportunities and thoughtfulness she bestowed, well after I was a student of hers.”
- Elle Perry, The Daily Memphian, former student and former coordinator of The Teen Appeal
“It is hard to find the words to express the love and gratitude I feel for Dr. Grusin, to which she would say that I just needed to try harder because the words are always there. Outside of her beloved family, friends, students, and all things Memphis, words were her life. Whether she was teaching, reading, editing, or speaking, Dr. Grusin’s love of language and the power it held was ever present. In my first journalism class with her at the University of Memphis, I learned more about writing than I ever had before. She was a great encourager, but she also never hesitated to wield her mighty red pen. Dr. Grusin spent her life creating opportunities for those around her, which prompted her to begin The Teen Appeal, which gave students in Memphis City Schools a chance to write stories that mattered. She set many of her students, including me, on paths to doing work we love. She did not suffer fools, especially in politics or papers, and did not mince her words in our last phone call. It is hard to believe she is no longer just a phone call away, but she will always be in my heart, a touchstone in my life for integrity, honesty, and, mostly, love.”
- Dianne Bragg, associate professor, University of Alabama, former student and former coordinator of The Teen Appeal
“It’s an understatement to say women like Dr. Grusin are important. I hope that her example of lifting and inspiring others is not only something I keep with me but also something I practice. I think one of the best ways we can honor her is to continue her work of recruiting and training the next wave of communicators.”
- Erica Horton, ALSAC, former student and former staffer at The Teen Appeal.
“Elinor hired me as a graduate assistant to help launch The Teen Appeal and my time at the University of Memphis was transformative because of her. She’s the reason I chose a career in the academy. Media law was my favorite class, and she became my mentor and adviser. Her teaching led me to the research and teaching path that she took – First Amendment law.
“She helped me think through my thesis topic and even my dissertation topic at Mizzou many years later! She encouraged me to take a close look at Ohio University – her alma mater – and that’s one big reason I’m here at Scripps now.
“Dr. Redmond always said she had a mind like a steel trap. I thought about that a lot when I worked with her over the years. It was the perfect description. She was just brilliant and so generous with her time and energy.
“I am where I am because of her.”
- Aimee Edmondson, associate dean, Scripps College of Communication, Ohio University, former student
“Elinor Grusin was the most caring person I have ever known.. She loved her students, family, friends and dogs with all her heart. I can’t imagine this world without her.”
- Candy Justice, assistant professor of teaching, Daily Helmsman adviser
“Elinor was the first person I hired after I became chair of Journalism; I couldn’t have had a better professor and person. She was an excellent teacher, but she made the most impact in her personal caring and mentoring of her students. She also left an imprint on high school students that she led in writing and producing The Teen Appeal, the newspaper that served all high schools in Memphis. She was a wonderful colleague, as well as an outstanding role model for students.”
- Dan Lattimore, professor emeritus, former department chair
“I don’t know what I could say other than that Dr. Grusin was one of the kindest, caring, student-centered people I worked with. She always reached out to students who needed some mentoring. She saw being a professor as much more than what goes on in the classroom. She was always highly rated by students, as much for her “life-coaching” as for the subjects she taught. We often talked about how being a university teacher is, in a way, being in the life-changing business more than anything else. Mentoring is as much a part of university level teaching as the courses themselves.”
- Jim Redmond, professor emeritus, former department chair
Would you like to contribute? Please email your quote or anecdote to Matt Haught at mjhaught@memphis.edu.