Frank McDonald Professor of Communication
Communication Department Head, 1991-2008
Temporary appointment to the History Department, 2008-2009
Dr. Rushing is a native of Memphis, Tennessee. His degrees are in political science and administration and management of higher education. Before joining the ranks of college teachers, Rushing worked for a number of years as a television journalist with Memphis television stations WMC and WHBQ. Rushing served in the United States Navy as a radioman during of the Vietnam War. He went to sea aboard the U.S.S. Atakapa (ATF-149) and the U.S.S. Papago (ATF-160).
Rushing came to UTC in 1982 from a journalism faculty position at the University of Mississippi. He is a member of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) and the Society of Professional Journalists.
Professor Rushing is active in "electronic" communication. He is a "listserv" moderator for the History and Macintosh Society (H-MAC). He serves on the editorial board of H-Net's US Civil War History discussion list (H-CIVWAR). He is on the steering committee of the journalism history "listserv" (J-HISTORY). Rushing is the custodian of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) History Division web site.
Rushing for many years was the co-organizer of the UTC Communication Department's West Chair Symposium on the "Antebellum Press, the Civil War, and Free Expression.
He most often taught UTC's COMM451, "Mass Communication Law and Ethics," COMM420, "Senior Seminar in Communication," COMM337, "Web Publishing," and COMM231, "Media Writing II."
Rushing is developing a course in journalism history of the 19th century that may be first offered in the spring of 2009.
Rushing's research interests include media of the 19th century, the abolitionist press, reconstruction era media, and 19th century women's issues. His hobbies include the history and culture of Scotland, videography, his dog, and world peace.
Rushing's most recent publication is the re-release of Eliza Frances Andrews' (1840-1931) first novel, A Family Secret. The work is a fictionalized account of Andrews' experiences during the last year of the Civil War. The novel was the top selling fiction work in the United States in 1876. The story is based on the author's experiences during the last year of the U. S. Civil War. The novel is available from the University of Tennessee Press.
Rushing's interest in the works of Fanny Andrews began with his discovery in the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga library archives in 1998 of Andrews' 1870-1872 diary. The diary chronicles a visit by Fanny and her younger sister Metta to wealthy Newark, New Jersey relatives. The diary with notes and an introduction was published in 2002 by the University of Tennessee Press.
Rushing is currently researching and writing on the life of Judge Garnett Andrews (1798-1873). Judge Andrews was the father of Eliza Frances Andrews. He lived through a tumultuous period of Southern history that included the Indian Removal, the founding of Chattanooga, the secession crisis, and emancipation. Both A Family Secret and Journal of a Georgia Woman, 1870-1872 are available from the University of Tennessee Press or from on-line houses such as Amazon-dot-com or Barnes and Noble Book Sellers.
Dr. Rushing facilitated in June (2008) a reporting and production adventure in Scotland.
A selection of photographs from the 2008 expedition.
A possibility exists the Scotland course may be offered again during the summer of 2009. Those who may have an interest in participating are invited to send an email expressing their interest to kit-rushing@utc.edu
