Events

George M. “Russ” Deavours (center) received his B.A. from Valdosta State College in 1965, where he majored in Sociology and History. He began his career working as a research assistant for the U.S. Air Force. He received his M.S. in Audiology in 1971 from New Mexico State University and became an Audiologist for the Wm. Beaumont Army Hospital. He later came home to establish and direct the Valdosta Speech and Hearing Clinic, which was associated with Valdosta State College. He was appointed Assistant Professor in Special Education. With a graduate Teaching/Research Assistantship, he finished his Ph.D. in Speech Science from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1978. In cooperation with the Valdosta Junior Service League, he began to build a community speech and hearing clinic and an undergraduate training program in Speech Pathology/Audiology with a faculty of three. His vision of a certified Master’s Degree program was realized in 1993 when the Communication Disorders Program was accredited by the AmericanSpeech-Language-Hearing Association. With the help of a Board of Regent’s grant, the Masters program became the largest CD program in the state and region, graduating 75-100 new SLPs a year to meet the growing need for therapists. In 1999, he and the 17 member faculty he had assembled moved the program to the new Special Education and Communication Disorders Building. During the next few years, he watched the program he founded and built serve children and adults with communication disorders in a modern building, as well as in many off-campus community sites. The faculty he assembled was large, diverse, and productive. Having accomplished all he had hoped to achieve, Dr. Deavours retired as a full professor in 2002. Dr. Deavours has a remarkable history of excellent teaching, important research, and the capacity to surround himself with dedicated professionals who loved working for their friend. He has touched the lives of many.