Lawrence ‘Bud’ Wheeless

Submitted By jd0307 on Thu, 10/14/2021 - 8:14am

Lawrence ‘Bud’ Wheeless, 80, Professor Emeritus of communications, died Sept. 15 in Denton. He began teaching at UNT in 1993 and retired in 2004.

Known by many as “Dr. Bud,” he earned his bachelor’s degree at Texas Christian University in 1964, his master’s degree at the University of Houston in 1967 and his doctorate at Wayne State University in 1970.

Prior to teaching at UNT, he was the chair of the communications department at Marshall University and taught at many other schools, including Illinois State University, West Virginia University and Texas Tech University. He served as a researcher and became known on a national and international level for his work in interpersonal and instructional communication. He also served as the editor for Communication Quarterly, an academic journal for the Eastern Communication Association.

His final wish was to have his body donated and used for research at the UNT Health Science Center.

He is survived by his wife, Dr. Virginia Wheeless, who was associate vice president and special assistant to the chancellor for planning and director of the university planning office at UNT.

Lawrence ‘Bud’ Wheeless, 80, Professor Emeritus of communications, died Sept. 15 in Denton. He began teaching at UNT in 1993 and retired in 2004.

Known by many as “Dr. Bud,” he earned his bachelor’s degree at Texas Christian University in 1964, his master’s degree at the University of Houston in 1967 and his doctorate at Wayne State University in 1970.

Prior to teaching at UNT, he was the chair of the communications department at Marshall University and taught at many other schools, including Illinois State University, West Virginia University and Texas Tech University. He served as a researcher and became known on a national and international level for his work in interpersonal and instructional communication. He also served as the editor for Communication Quarterly, an academic journal for the Eastern Communication Association.

His final wish was to have his body donated and used for research at the UNT Health Science Center.

He is survived by his wife, Dr. Virginia Wheeless, who was associate vice president and special assistant to the chancellor for planning and director of the university planning office at UNT.

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