pic courtesy of NAU.
Former NAU Communication Professor Dale Hoskins Passes Away After Battle With Cancer
Northern Arizona University has lost the heart of its School of Communication. Dr. Dale Hoskins passed away after a battle with cancer Monday afternoon. Dr. Hoskins spent well over 30 years teaching broadcasting at NAU. He graduated from Baylor University with a bachelor’s degree in 1969, received a master’s degree from Texas Christian University in 1974 and his doctorate from North Texas State in 1984. He was also awarded the Jack Clifford Excellence in Broadcast Education Award from the Arizona Broadcasters Association Foundation. Dr. Hoskins retired from teaching in 2015, but still had time to meet with faculty and former students. He taught hundreds of broadcast students over his career, many have gone on to have long careers in television and radio, with some venturing into a career as a public information officer. He will be remembered for his wit, his loyalty to his students and his love he had for the craft. Anyone who has had “Dale” as an instructor has at least one story that will make you appreciate what he was trying to teach you and a story that will make you laugh. Dr. Hoskins was 73 years old.
The NAU Foundation has set up a scholarship fund in Dr. Hoskins name. If you would like to donate, click here:
This hurts a lot. I used to run into Dale at Campus Coffee Bean, events around the community, and just walking around downtown. He was always so nice, so positive, so genuinely interested. The world has lost a great one.
I am so saddened to learn of Dale’s passing. He was an esteemed colleague for so many years, and a wonderful friend. He was held in high regard by so many. May he Rest In Peace.
Saddened by this. Dale was a good guy.
Dale was an esteemed colleague and friend, and we shared a room at many BEA/NAB Conventions over the years. Many great adventures and stories came from those years! We collaborated on numerous student-produced broadcasts and watched with pride as they swept the awards at NBS/AERho, BEA and AZ Broadcasters. He will certainly be missed.
Dr. Rugg and Dr. Hoskins are pillars of my memories at NAU. So many great lessons were taught by each of them. Great times and great memories.
I had Dale for my electronic media classes, and every class with him was a bright spot in my day. His positive energy and enthusiasm for the trade inspired his students to work hard and stay engaged. My condolences to his family and everyone close to him. He made a true impact on the world and his students.
Dr. Hoskins was my advisor back in the 90s at NAU. He was a lovely man. He will be missed!
Definitely a man with a great sense of humor. One of my favorite professors at NAU. So pleased I had the opportunity to learn from him.
This breaks my heart. Dale was always there for his students. He was a great motivator who believed in his students and their potential. He was truly my advisor when I attended to NAU. He will be missed.
Loved Dale- What a kind and generous man He was easy to talk to and easy to learn from Dale influenced so many friends and collogues in the business What a legacy! I think they should re-name his area “The Dale Hoskins School of Media”
He loved us to Tim!
I am so sorry to hear this. He was my teacher multiple times throughout my undergrad years, as well as my advisor. Praying for his family.
Dr Dale was one of my favorite professors at NAU. This truly breaks my heart, he was a smart and kind man. Will never forget the trip our UTV group took to Las Vegas with him and a couple of other professors for the National Association of Broadcasters Convention. Rest in Power, Dr Dale.
That trip happened a lot. I went in 93 and again in 95 and memories were made and stories will be told for years to come. It’s a tough loss for sure.
This is so heartbreaking. Hoskins had a huge impact on me at NAU and my future career in media. He will never be forgotten.
Hey stranger. It’s good to see your name and post. Miss you. Shoot me an email sometime.
The kindest soul who went out of his way to connect me with the right opportunities at the right times, including two communications jobs while I was still in school. A great and wonderful man who guided me in many valuable directions. To his credit, 2021 marks my 25th year in our industry. –NAU 92-94
I worked with Dale for many years when I was PD at Kaff & Kmgn. He had a wonderful sense of humor and really cared about his “kids”. I hired a lot of them! The world will miss a really great guy!
Chris Halstead
Hi everyone and thanks for the comments. It’s a tremendous loss for all who knew him. I myself am still battling the emotions. I’ve added a link to the story from the NAU Foundation. A scholarship has been set up in his name. Click on the link to donate. Thanks everyone.
He had a Texas radio station coffee cup (KPLX?) permanently attached to him for most of the day-maybe that accounts for the tremendous energy he shared with us. The overriding quality that emerges when I think of Dale is passion. I always knew he loved the profession, and it was such a joy to find a guide who was as excited about sharing his love of the art as I was to learn about it. I’m a broadcasting prof myself now, and you better bet all of my students get the best lessons I learned from Dale. His memory truly lives on.
Sad news. What came right to mind when I saw this story and thought of Dale…you and me going to his house for a party and him showing us his cat. Do you remember this? We were all expecting him to walk in holding a live cat. Instead he shared the pelt of his beloved, no-longer living kitty. ACK!
Great memories of our VERY early broadcast days. So glad we double-dared each other to check it out. Very grateful to have been taught by Dale.
Cheers!!
I am devastated. Dale was a client for many, many years. He is the kindest soul. He appreciated so many of the small joys in life. We both loved cats..and food! This is a great loss for Flagstaff, his family, and all who knew him.
I taught at NAU with Dale for three short years that made a very big impression on me (98/99; 99/00; 00/01). I was a brand new professor and I worked with Dale at least four nights a week on the UTV newscast; and, those memories are precious now. He was my mentor, a very patient guide, my friend (he and Jody were my landlords that final year) — and he was one of the very very best Announcing & Performance instructors I have ever seen (to the former students out there…remember the “post cereals” script?). One could literally not move in his office with the beat-up file folder stacks all over the place and an obsolete Macintosh buried somewhere in the chaos. Teachers like Dale live on through the continued work of their former students and former colleagues. Dale was a rare kind; and, in his life he made a huge impact. I’ll never forget him and I will most certainly miss running into him in Vegas. Peace to you…peace to the family.
Dale was such a nice person and showed his spirit of caring of caring for others. He will certainly be missed by all who knew him. May he Rest In Peace.
I myself did not know Professor Hoskins but it is inspiring to see what kind of difference he made on his students, colleagues, and others in the community through the heartfelt comments to this article. Dr Hoskins clearly represented the best kind of professor and it is moving to learn of the impact he had on so many people’s lives. NAU is a better institution for having him, and we also wish peace to him and his family.
I think many who had his as a professor thought of him as another father or later on grandfather. I was an advisor, teacher, mentor and friend to me and I’ll miss the calls to me occasionally where I said something he thought was wrong and would make sure I knew about it. 🙂 and the lunches of course. I’d give anything to get another call saying “Dave…Dale Hoskins here. Now, what did I teach you about pronunciation of names back when you were a student.” haha. He would be right most times. Most. He loved teaching. He loved the relationships he had with former students and seeing their lives grow. He loved NAU and he loved Flagstaff. Thanks Andy you’re right. NAU was better having him there as an instructor, no doubt.
Dale was a big influence on me at NAU. He was so warm and funny. I even babysat for his daughter a time or two.
It’s also a blast to see names I recognize from those days in the comments here—hi, Dan Garrity and Tim Chelgren.
We all must leave but we must leave with a/our legacy intact as Dr. Hoskins has. I had Dr. Hoskins as an instructor on several occasions. A story I must share – one evening, as he was closing shop, powered down his equipment, I had a question I needed to be answered. This was years after I had graduated from NAU. I had my young children in tow. I asked the question and he answered. My 10 and 12-year old children were curious about the TV set-up and asked a question about how this all worked. Dr. Hoskins re-ignited his shop to show my kids how TV worked, and he went into depth as to how we were able to watch TV in our homes. He shared with them how the green screen worked…almost an hour later my kids had their fill, and their questions answered. I saw the passion and greatness of a man who loved what he did…especially for others. I thanked Dr. Hoskins for taking the time to share with my kids. It left an impression on them…and on me! Cheers to a great man and may he Rest in Peace!
Remembering Dr. Hoskins as an enthusiastic and friendly professor – always encouraging. Years later I visited NAU with my children and we bumped in to Dr Dale there. He was just about to retire. He was the same person, full of energy. I noticed that another former head of the Communications Department, Dr. Dan Julien, also passed away in February of this year – https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/azdailysun/name/daniel-julien-obituary?pid=197794155 God Bless you both. Rest in peace!