Just Showing Up Can Make A Difference: A History of the Association for Communication Administration

Authors

Christopher Lynch, Kean University

Abstract

The Association for Communication Administration (ACA), founded in Chicago in 1972, claimed a membership of one hundred and two departments. It was an independent organization but shared resources with what is now the National Communication Association. Initial membership included theatre and broadcast programs under the umbrella of communication. These programs would create their own independent associations. ACA’s mission was to promote the role of communication administrators, chairpersons to university presidents, in academia. It has weathered the ebbs and flows of any organization as it moves towards its fiftieth anniversary. A newsletter to the membership led to the creation of JACA (Journal of the Association for Communication Administration), The organization has evolved with and led the evolution of the wider academic discipline of communication. This paper traces the history of the organization through its leaders, journal articles and themes claiming that it shows snapshots of the role communication administration has played in the academy.

Recommended Citation

Lynch, C. (2020). Just showing up can make a difference: A history of the Association for Communication Administration. Journal of the Association for Communication Administration, 39(1), 2-6.