ALBERT WALKER

Dr. Albert Walker, 91, retired professor of journalism at Northern Illinois University, died June 22, 2011, at Oak Crest DeKalb Area Retirement Center.

Born Feb. 15, 1920, in Newton, Mass., he retired in 1990 after 23 years, but returned in 1995 to teach part-time until 1998.

A veteran of World War II and Korea, he joined the NIU faculty in January 1968 to establish a public-relations sequence in the Journalism Department. He helped to establish the department's graduate program in journalism and was its coordinator until his retirement. He founded a charter chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of American and was the director of the department's graduate program.

His professional career consisted of six years as a reporter and 10 years in public relations before beginning his teaching career.

Dr. Walker was an accredited member of the Public Relations Society of America, which recognized him with its Outstanding Public Relations Teaching Award in 1976 and Outstanding Faculty Advisor Award in 1989. He also belonged to the Society of Professional Journalists and the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.

He graduated from Baker University in Kansas and Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism in Evanston. He earned a doctorate from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.

He is survived by his three daughters, Barbara Walker-Thoreson of Phoenix, Ariz., Margaret Walker-Pollak of Chicago and New Orleans, La., and Ruth Walker-Williams of Elburn.

Cremation has taken place at Anderson Funeral Home Crematory, DeKalb.

A private interment service will be held at Clark Cemetery in Millersburg, Ohio, where his wife Mary Margaret was interred in 2010.

Memorials may be made to the Albert Walker Memorial Fund for DeKalb County Hospice in care of Anderson Funeral Home, Ltd., P.O. Box 605, 2011 South Fourth St., DeKalb, IL 60115./