ABERDEEN, S.D. – In his more than 50 years of teaching, Dr. John Stone has accomplished a lot.
Originally from Pierre, S.D., Stone graduated Northern in 1965, when Northern was called Northern Normal and Industrial School. Since then, Stone has taught at universities all over the world: Tokyo, London, Beijing, Istanbul and Seoul.
He has also taught across the United States: NCSU, Duke, UNC-CH, Penn State, Nebraska, Auburn and Maryland. He has taught age levels from third-graders up to graduate students.
He started his teaching career in South Dakota, first teaching speech in Miller. Then he went to teach at Sturgis his second year for coaching and debate, and his third year he taught at the School of Mines in Rapid City.
Stone is a Professor Emeritus of International Public Relations and Speech Communication at James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia.
He was awarded Professor Emeritus status in 2012. During his time at James Madison, he was voted Professor of the Year twice by students.
“It’s a big honor. I got that twice in 10 years. It has been a huge highlight in my career.” Stone says.
He is still teaching public relations and speech communication at James Madison University. He started the public relations program at Auburn and at North Carolina State. He also started the international public relations program at James Madison University.
“The basis for public relations, quite frankly, is persuasion, because we are advocates,” Stone said.
Stone teaches his students writing, speech, and how to advocate for clients in public relations and communications.
Along with teaching, Stone has written and published several textbooks over the years. In 2020, he published a novel titled: “From Big Sky to the Badlands: Two Decades of Trailin’ Sheep.” His book is historical fiction, using research from South Dakota and his own recollections of his family to write about his father and mother’s marriage of raising and herding sheep for over 25 years.
“This story is built from the many hours I spent talking with my mother and father about two decades of their lives trailing sheep,” Stone explains.
Stone spent six years writing this book, traveling to all the places included in the story. He took his RV and camped there from Ekalaka, Montana, down into the Badlands along the White River. Stone researched these places of South Dakota to become more empathetic and connected with his family’s struggles.
“In talking with (my parents) and actually revisiting virtually all the areas where they set up their base camps, I developed a sense of some of their plight - even fear at times - but mostly love for a life most people would likely not choose, if they had choices. This is a story about survival. It is not about beating the elements of life on the plains of eastern Montana and western South Dakota but learning to live with them.”
Stone's book can be ordered on Amazon.
About Northern State University
Northern State University is a student-centered institution that provides an outstanding educational experience, preparing students through the liberal arts and professional education for their future endeavors. A regional university, Northern offers rigorous academics; diverse civic, social and cultural opportunities; and a commitment to building an inclusive environment for all points of view. Northern also offers a broad-based athletics program, sponsoring 15 NCAA Division II intercollegiate varsity sports that compete in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (NSIC). The university strives to enrich the community through partnerships such as its Educational Impact Campaign, which opened a new South Dakota School for the Blind and Visually Impaired; new athletic and recreation fields; and, soon, an on-campus regional sports complex. With the $55 million campaign, NSU has been the recipient of more than $120 million in privately funded building projects and scholarships within a decade. To learn more, visit NSU Admissions.