Robert Rodman

This is not a memory, but a word of gratitude to Suzanne, Kevin, and Larry for their comments here. It's been almost 6 years now since I lost my dad and I have never missed him more. Thank you and with Love,

I was privileged to be Robert's Linguistics student at UNC and his friend. What an admirable person. What a brain! What an interesting life. I am thankful for his wisdom, as he gave me some of the best advice I've ever received, especially when I was struggling to deal with my divorce. My condolences to the family. He made the world a much better place.

I took a linguistics summer school course taught by Dr. Rodman in 1976, at UNC-Chapel Hill. He was a very distinguished gentleman whose lectures I always enjoyed. I was very sorry to read of his passing.

I was enrolled in his class on computer speech recognition and synthesis at NCSU in 1993 at the age of 48. We were the two oldest in the room and the only two who always wore jackets and neckties to class. We related well as we had similar wide ranges of interest. I mentioned the musical staff on his necktie one day and he responded that it represented the opening bars to Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik--and then we both started humming the tune to the astonishment of the class.

He was quite a motivator and challenged me sufficiently that my class project, reliable computer distinction of male and female voices, was actually something of a breakthrough in the field.

I always have regretted that he was unable to serve as my PhD advisor.