Edward P. J. Corbett

Corbett died on June 24, 1998, at his home in Columbus, Ohio.

As a result of his work, the Edward P. J. Corbett Award is named after him. In 1982 Thomas Willard singled out Corbett as an outstanding "contemporary rhetorician." He was the CCCC Exemplar Awardee in 1996. His students include Andrea Lunsford, Lisa Ede, Robert Connors, Gail Harwisher, Cheryl Glenn, Krista Radcliffe, and Sheryl Finkle.

In the 1980s Corbett returned to do more work in the history of rhetoric. His works from this period include "Some Rhetorical Lessons from John Henry Newman," "John Locke's Contributions to Rhetoric," "Isocrates' Legacy: The Humanistic Strand in Classical Rhetoric, "The Classical Paideia in the Ancient Greek and Roman Schools," "Classical Rhetoric: The Basic Issues," and "The Cornell School of Rhetoric." This last piece explored the revival of rhetoric in Speech Departments before the beginning of Corbett's advocacy.

Corbett moved to The Ohio State University in 1966 to serve as Director of Freshman English. While Corbett appreciated literature, he promoted the teaching of writing in writing courses. Corbett remained a strong supporter basing composition studies in rhetoric. Articles from this period include "What is Being Revived?", "A New Look at Old Rhetoric," "The Relevance of Rhetoric to Composition," "The Theory and Practice of Imitation in Classical Rhetoric," "Rhetoric, the Enabling Discipline," and "Rhetoric, Whether Goest Thou?" These works argued for the relevance of rhetoric, including its relevance to other fields of study.

While working at Creighton University (another Jesuit institution), Corbett chanced upon Hugh Blair's Lectures on Rhetoric and Belles Lettres in the library which stimulated Corbett's interest in rhetoric. Corbett went to the Jesuit Loyola University Chicago for his doctorate degree; his dissertation was "Hugh Blair: A Study of His Rhetorical Theory." In 1956, after completing his Ph.D., Corbett returned to Creighton University.

After a brief stint work at the Schlitz Brewing Company, Corbett joined the Marines. He trained as a radio technician and received training at Wright Junior College and Ward Island. In 1945, Corbett was sent to Majuro Island; he later was stationed at Pearl Harbor and Qingdao. After his service, Corbett went to the University of Chicago, where he got a master's degree in literature in 1948.

In 1934, Corbett receive a scholarship to attend Marquette University High School, a Jesuit institution. There, Corbett learned Latin and Greek. Upon graduating in 1938, Corbett decided to become a priest and went to Venard College where he earned a degree in philosophy. Eventually Corbett decided not to become a priest and left the school in 1943.

Edward P.J. Corbett (October 29, 1919 – June 24, 1998) was an American rhetorician, educator, and scholarly author. Corbett chaired the 1970 Conference on College Composition and Communication, and was chair of the organization and a member of the National Council of Teachers of English Executive Committee in 1971. He was also chair of the Rhetoric Society of America from 1973 to 1977. From 1974 to 1979, he was editor of the journal College Composition and Communication. He is known for promoting classical rhetoric among composition scholars and teachers.