In Memoriam: David Linton, Vivacious Communication and Media Arts Professor

David Linton

Dr. Linton started teaching at the College in 1987, after 20 years as a high school English teacher. At MMC, students in what was then called the Communication Arts Department did not get far without running into Dr. Linton; always smiley and outgoing with a wild mane of curly hair, he was hard to miss.

In his almost 30 years at MMC, Dr. Linton taught a range of classes on communication theory and history, public speaking, as well as a number of special topics including Disability and Media, Shakespeare on Film, Independent Film, and Social Construction and Images of Menstruation. This last topic became a particularly special interest of Dr. Linton. He served as a board member of the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research, wrote the book Men in Menstruation: A Social Transaction, and helped create the world’s first menstrual poetry slam, The Red Moon Howl. Dr. Linton’s other research interests included the Luddite movement, the reading behavior of the Virgin Mary, the media environment of Elizabethan England, and the formation of literary and media canons.

“For generations of students and faculty in not just Communication Arts but the entire Humanities Division, David was a welcoming presence and dedicated leader,” said Katie LeBesco, Ph.D., Associate Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Professor of Communication and Media Arts. “I’ll remember his laugh, the twinkle in his eye, his creativity, generosity, and exuberance. David was a central part of the MMC experience for so many.”

In addition to his teaching duties, Dr. Linton held a number of administrative positions at MMC, such as Chair of the Department of Communication and Media Arts and Chair of the Humanities Division. He also served as the first president of the Faculty Council.

After retiring from MMC in 2015, he became a cast member of the podcast Fireside Mystery Theatre, having been recruited by MMC alumna Ali Silva ’99 to join. He was also a passionate skating enthusiast, wearing in-line skates in the summer in Central Park and exchanging them for ice skates in the winter to skate at Rockefeller Center. This pastime in fact earned him a featured photo in New York magazine in 2021.

“David was always bigger than life, much like the coif he donned as his signature look,” said Katie Langan, Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty. “Rollerblading in Central Park, far more than a hobby, exemplified his joie de vivre, while his dedication to all things Marymount Manhattan was hard to match.”

Dr. Linton earned a BS and MEd from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and a Ph.D. at New York University. He is survived by his beloved wife, Simi.

Published: December 06, 2024