CU professor inducted into Landmarks Hall of Fame

Deborah Tiedemann

Dr. Russell Barclay, visiting professor of public relations at Campbellsville University, second from left, was recently inducted into the Landmarks Hall of Fame. Others attending the event were, from left, his wife Gladys, Jeannie Clark, broadcast/digital media producer and adjunct instructor in broadcast at CU, and Dr. Keith Spears, vice president for graduate and professional studies.

Deborah Tiedemann

Mary Kutter

Campbellsville University

Dr. Russell Barclay, visiting professor of public relations at Campbellsville University, was inducted into Landmarks Hall of Fame at the 30th annual Landmarks of Excellence Awards Dinner at the Kentucky Derby Museum in Louisville on Oct. 16.

The Kentucky Chapter of International Association of Business and the Bluegrass Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America are joint sponsors of the award.

"I am very proud to call Dr. Barclay my colleague, and Campbellsville University is very fortunate to share his expertise with our students," Dr. Keith Spears, CU vice president for graduate and professional studies, who assists with the broadcasting program, said.

According to a press release from the Public Relations Society of America's Bluegrass Chapter, Barclay was chosen for "advancing the practice of public relations and communications at the highest standards, practicing his profession as both an educator and counselor with a commitment to its Code of Ethics, consistently exhibiting the highest levels of leaderships and public service to the profession, volunteer service to the community and serving as a role model and mentor to communications professionals across the nations."

"It is quite an honor for Dr. Barclay to receive this induction because it is typically given to someone from our region and it has only been given to one other educator in its history," Rande Swann, co-chair of the selection committee and 2007 inductee into the Landmarks Hall of Fame, said. "We felt since he is such an outstanding individual who has contributed so much throughout his career, he should be in the Hall of Fame."

"I was honored beyond words," Barclay said. "Academics rarely win such awards and I feel blessed to have this honor, coming as it does from working professionals drawn from all walks of the communications industry."

Barclay has made major contributions to the public relations/mass communication profession by mentoring more than 100 students majoring in public relations/mass communication 'and the numbers continue to rise," Swann said as she gave additional highlights of Barclay's career that contributed to his induction into the Hall of Fame.

Barclay taught for 30 years at universities in Texas, Florida and Connecticut before retiring in 2006 and moving to LaGrange. He started two public relations programs and advised startups for two Public Relations Student Society of America chapters at various universities, including CU. Also, Barclay began the Lambda Pi Eta chapter for all mass communications majors at CU.

As a consultant, Barclay wrote for TPS and Sony, the U.S. Air Force and advised American Airlines on its employee newsletter. He was an invited speaker at venues such as Yale's National Health Policy Institute and Connecticut's Department of Health.

Barclay came to Campbellsville University in August 2009 after growing bored with retirement. He is married to Gladys Emily Barclay, a CRNA at Taylor Regional Hospital.