Voices: Past and Present

This site is being developed to preserve some of the classic speeches and interviews in the area of stuttering. It will begin with audiotapes from some of those professionals who have left an important mark on the field of speech-language pathology, in the area of Fluency and Fluency Disorders. We hope to build this collection as time permits and as others share similar tapes to those below. Tapes will be limited for now to audio tapes and should be no longer than a half hour. If anyone has a tape they'd like to share, and if permission is granted to put it online, please contact Judith Kuster. This project gratefully acknowledges the support of a MSU, Mankato Faculty Research Grant, spring semester, 2004, and the help of MSU, Mankato tech staff, especially Christian Andrew Dinger and Agnes Lumenta, and Bill Fabian, Australia, as well as those who shared tapes (Ed Feuer, Jane Fraser, Steve Hood, Lee Reeves, Fred Murray, and Woody Starkweather) and all those who gave their permission to put them online.

Information on how long will it take to download these files and how to play these files after they are downloaded. (IMPORTANT: please note the size of each of the files).

From the 1957 Panel discussion on "recovery"
ASHA Convention - Cincinnati, Ohio

We are fortunate to have this panel presentation available. Fred Murray tells the story of running into Joseph Sheehan, who was facilitating the panel, in the hall at the convention, wondering if the panel was going to be audio taped. Sheehan responded that there were no plans to do that, but if Murray could arrange it, that would be all right. Murray, out of his own pocket, found someone to record it for $100, which at that time was a considerable sum. Thanks to Fred's quick thinking and generosity, this classic has been preserved.

Charles Van Riper Read more about Charles Van Riper here
Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (20MB)
Added June 4, 2003.
S. Waldo Coleman
Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (14.6MB)
Added July 10, 2003
Joseph Sheehan Read more about Joseph Sheehan here
Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (17.7MB)
Added July 1, 2003.
Charles Bluemel Read more about Charles Bluemel here
Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (16.1MB)
Added July 1, 2003.
John Clancy
Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (8.2MB)
Added July 1, 2003.
Wendell Johnson Read more about Wendell Johnson here
Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (18.3MB)
Added July 1, 2003.
Dean Williams Read more about Dean Williams here
Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (6.0MB)
Added January 29, 2004.
James Frick
Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (6.4MB)
Added November 28, 2011.

A few questions were asked of the 1957 panel at the end of their presentation

These are short mp3 files and can be listened to with either Quick Time or Real Audio.

  • Should a psychologist or psychiatrist be a necessary part in the therapy process with a person who stutters?
  • In view of the apparent length and complexity of the treatment process described, what about helping the stutterer in the public schools? Charles Van Riper
  • There was no mention of group therapy in the panel discussion. Does that mean it wasn't important for you? Joseph Sheehan
  • What were the attitudes of your families and the implications of therapy for you? Joseph Sheehan
    Charles Bluemel
    Wendell Johnson
  • From the 1959 Symposium on Stuttering
    sponsored by the University of Wisconsin, Madison

    The following section will preserve excerpts from a symposium on stuttering held at the University of Wisconsin, in Madison, in the summer of 1959. It was supported by an Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Grant. The presenters, most who had made a name for themselves in the area of stuttering, converged in Madison that summer from various university settings. They included

    Reel-to-reel tapes of several of these presentations are in the possession of the Stuttering Foundation of American and Fred Murray. The tapes themselves were in excellent condition (once I found a tape recorder that could play them!). However, the lectures are long, and some of the 7-inch reel-to-reel tapes tapes I received contained only segments of the lectures with the rest of the lecture apparently on a tape that is missing What is below is not the entire lecture presented in 1959. I extracted and edited to produce segments (from 7 to 35 minutes long) of several of the lectures that give a flavor of the symposium and provide insight into the thinking of these pioneers at that time. The recordings are of historical interest and may or may not reflect the thinking of the presenters at a later date. What they presented should not be taken as their final ideas on cause or treatment of stuttering, nor should their presentations take the place of exploring treatment or ideas about stuttering from the current generation of pioneers.

    The presenters were introduced by two voices I recognized well - John Irwin and Lois Nelson who were both still in the Department of Communication Disorders at the UW-Madison campus when I was a student there. In fact, some of these tapes were played on a Wollensak recorder in the class on stuttering that I took from Dr. Nelson.


    Carl Rogers - Read more about Carl Rogers here Essential Conditions for Change (35 minutes)
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (19M)

    Questions and Answers - Carl Rogers

    added January 31, 2004
    Carl Rogers - Read more about Carl Rogers here
    What is the process of counseling and therapy? (7 minutes)
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (4.9M)

    Questions and Answers - Carl Rogers

    added February 16, 2004
    Bryng Bryngelson - Read more about Bryng Bryngelson here
    Neuroanatomical and Neurophysiological Considerations of Stuttering (30 minutes)
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (17.5M)

    added April 18, 2004
    Wendell Johnson - Read more about Wendell Johnson here
    The Onset of Stuttering (34 minutes)
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (20.3M)

    added April 28, 2004
    Charles Van Riper - Read more about Charles Van Riper here
    Concepts of Group Therapy (35 minutes) - Part of a lecture at the UW-Madison symposium
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (29.9MB)
    Added May 5, 2004.
    Jon Eisenson - The Case for the Physical Cause of Stuttering (18 minutes) - Part of a lecture at the UW-Madison symposium
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (10.8MB)
    Added May 4, 2004.
    Joseph Sheehan - Read more about Joseph Sheehan here
    Stuttering as a Conflict of Status and Role (27 minutes) - Part of a lecture at the Symposium on Stuttering, UW-Madison, 1959
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (16.8MB)
    Added May 6, 2004
    Oliver Bloodstein - The Nature of Stuttering (25 minutes) - Part of a lecture entitled "An Anticipatory Struggle Concept of Stuttering."
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (15MB)
    Added May 3, 2004 with permission of Oliver Bloodstein.
    Albert T. Murphy - Read more about Albert Murphy here
    Introductory Overview (30 minutes) - Part of a lecture at the Symposium on Stuttering, UW-Madison, 1959
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (17.1MB)
    Added June 30, 2004

    From the 1968 Panel discussion on "recovery"
    ASHA Convention, Denver, Colorado

    Thomas Alexander -
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (20MB)
    Placed online October 9, 2003, with the permission of Thomas Alexander
    Hugo Gregory
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (11.1MB)
    Added June 4, 2003, with permission of Dr. Gregory.
    William Shearer
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (9.2MB)
    Placed online June 29, 2003, with the permission of Dr. Shearer.
    Lee Edward Travis Read more about Lee Edward Travis here
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (10.9MB)
    Placed online August 3, 2003.
    Albert T. Murphy Read more about Albert T. Murphy here
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (8.6MB)
    Placed online August 3, 2003.

    From the 1977 Panel discussion on "recovery"
    ASHA Convention

    James L. Aten
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (20MB)
    Placed online June 6, 2003, with the permission of Dr. Aten
    Hal Luper Read more about Hal Luper here
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (10.2MB)
    Placed online June 6, 2003.
    Gerald Moses
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (17.3MB)
    Placed online June 6, 2003, with the permission of Dr. Moses.
    Michael Tebb
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (14.2MB)
    Placed online July 3, 2003, with the permission of Michael Tebb.
    Joseph Sheehan Read more about Joseph Sheehan here
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (19.1MB)
    Placed online June 6, 2003.
    Fred Murray
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (17.7MB)
    Placed online June 8, 2003, with the permission of Fred Murray.
    Dean Williams - Read more about Dean Williams here
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (19.3 MB)
    Placed online October 9, 2003
    Theodore Peters
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (14.2MB)
    Placed online April 11, 2019

    From the 1984 Panel tribute in memory of Joseph Sheehan
    ASHA Convention

    George Shames
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (21MB)
    Placed online June 7, 2003, with the permission of Dr. Shames.
    Kenneth Knepflar
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (16.3MB)
    Placed online June 8.
    Eugene Cooper
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (21.4MB)
    Placed online June 8 with the permission of Dr. Cooper.
    Oliver Bloodstein
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (21.6MB)
    Placed online July 8, 2003 with the permission of Dr. Bloodstein.
    Vivian Sheehan
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (12.6MB)
    Placed online July 22, 2003 with the permission of Vivian Sheehan.

    From the 1996 Panel discussion on "recovery"
    ASHA Convention, Seattle, Washington

    Walter Manning
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (9.9MB)
    Added July 1, 2003 with permission of Walt Manning.
    Robert Quesal
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (16.1MB)
    Added July 1, 2003 with permission of Robert Quesal.
    William Murphy
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (17.7MB)
    Added July 1, 2003 with permission of Bill Murphy.
    Barry Guitar
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (15.4MB)
    Added July 1, 2003 with permission of Barry Guitar.
    David Daly
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (12.4MB)
    Added July 1, 2003 with permission of David Daly.
    Peter Ramig
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (15.2MB)
    Added July 1, 2003 with permission of Peter Ramig.
    Ken St. Louis
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (17.3MB)
    Added July 1, 2003 with permission of Ken St. Louis
    Lois Nelson
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (20.7MB)
    Added July 2, 2003 with permission of Lois Nelson.

    From the 2003 Panel "Understanding the Speaker's Experience of Stuttering"
    ASHA Convention, Chicago, Illinois

    This presentation was recorded through the generous loan of a Marantz digital recorder, from Peter Papageorge, one of the exhibitors at the ASHA convention. Since there were no recording services at the 2003 convention, without his offer to loan a recorder, this presentation would not have been preserved.

    Robert Quesal
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (9.9MB)
    Added February 12, 2004 with permission of Robert Quesal.
    Lawrence Molt
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (16.1MB)
    Added February 12, 2004 with permission of Larry Molt.
    William Murphy
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (17.7MB)
    Added February 12, 2004 with permission of Bill Murphy.
    Judith Eckhardt
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (15.4MB)
    Added February 12, 2004 with permission of Judith Eckhardt.
    Kenneth Logan
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (12.4MB)
    Added February 12, 2004 with permission of Ken Logan.
    Rod Gabel
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (15.2MB)
    Added February 12, 2004 with permission of Rod Gabel.

    From the 2011 Panel "Voices Past and Present: Paths Toward Recovery from Stuttering
    ASHA Convention, San Diego, CA

    This presentation was recorded by Tom Kuster. Below is the audio of each presentation along with a PDF that accompanied the speaker's presentation.
    A DVD of the entire presentation at the convention is also available at cost by contacting Judy Kuster

    Judy Kuster - PDF presentation introducing Voices: Past and Present
    Listen with Quick Time player or iTunes (5MB)
    Added November 28, 2011 with permission of Judy Kuster.
    Mark Allen - PDF of presentation
    Listen with Quick Time player or iTunes (10.5MB)
    Added November 28, 2011 with permission of Mark Allen.
    Kristin Chmela - PDF of presentation
    Listen with Quick Time player or iTunes (10.9MB)
    Added November 28, 2011 with permission of Kristin Chmela.
    Kevin Eldridge - PDF of presentation
    Listen with Quick Time player or iTunes (11.1MB)
    Added November 28, 2011 with permission of Kevin Eldridge.
    Kevin wishes to credit Kristin Chmela for introducing him to
    the term person who stutters sometimes.
    Joseph Klein - PDF of presentation
    Listen with Quick Time player or iTunes (10.3MB)
    Added November 28, 2011 with permission of Joseph Klein.
    Scott Palasik - PDF of presentation
    Listen with Quick Time player or iTunes (7.7MB)
    Added November 28, 2011 with permission of Scott Palasik.
    Gary Rentschler - PDF of presentation
    Listen with Quick Time player or iTunes (10.3MB)
    Added November 30, 2011 with permission of Gary Rentschler.
    David Shapiro - PDF of presentation
    Listen with Quick Time player or iTunes (10.2MB)
    Added November 28, 2011 with permission of David Shapiro.
    Dale Williams - PDF of presentation
    Listen with Quick Time player or iTunes (8.4MB)
    Added November 28, 2011 with permission of Dale Williams.
    A DVD of the entire presentation at the convention is also
    available at cost by contacting Judy Kuster

    From the 2019 Panel "Voices Past and Present: Paths Toward Recovery from Stuttering
    ASHA Convention, Orlando, Florida November 22, 2019

    This presentation was recorded by Tom Kuster. Below is the audio of each presentation along with a PDF that accompanied the speaker's presentation.
    A DVD of the entire presentation at the convention is also available at cost by contacting Judy Kuster

    Judy Kuster - PDF presentation introducing Voices: Past and Present
    Listen with Quick Time player or iTunes (11.9MB)
    Added November 28, 2019 with permission of Judy Kuster.
    Charlie Hughes - PDF of presentation
    Listen with Quick Time player or iTunes (12.4MB)
    Added November 28, 2019 with permission of Charlie Hughes.
    Michael Boyle - PDF of presentation
    Listen with Quick Time player or iTunes (12MB)
    Added November 28, 2019 with permission of Michael Boyle.
    Anthony Buhr - PDF of presentation
    Listen with Quick Time player or iTunes (7.2MB)
    A short video mentioned in the PDF is HERE
    Added November 28, 2019 with permission of Anthony Buhr.
    Derek Daniels - PDF of presentation
    Listen with Quick Time player or iTunes (10.1MB)
    Added November 28, 2019 with permission of Derek Daniels.
    David Evans - PDF of presentation
    Listen with Quick Time player or iTunes (13.2MB)
    Added November 28, 2019 with permission of David Evans.
    Caryn Herring - PDF of presentation
    Listen with Quick Time player or iTunes (13.5MB)
    Added November 30, 2019 with permission of Caryn Herring.
    Naomi Rodgers - PDF of presentation
    Listen with Quick Time player or iTunes (13.6MB)
    Added November 28, 2019 with permission of Naomi Rodgers.
    Eric Swartz - PDF of presentation
    Listen with Quick Time player or iTunes (13.3MB)
    Added November 28, 2019 with permission of Eric Swartz.

    Various Presentations about the Nature of Stuttering

    The audio clips below are of edited versions of people talking about their ideas at the time of the presentation about the nature of stuttering. Important disclaimer: The speeches are provided here for their historical significance, and reflect various views. The individuals were explaining their ideas at one point in time and may or may not reflect what they believed later. It is important that information from these clips not be taken as specific treatment suggestions for individuals who stutter. Determination of treatment for stuttering is best done in face-to-face coordination with a certified Speech-Language Pathologist.Two of the tapes by Van Riper and Brygelson (in this section and one in the section below) presented special challenges. The tapes were defective, but when played backwards, they were fine, apparently bleeding through the other side of the tape. The sound editor suggested by Bob Quesal, (Sound Studio) allows you to reverse the sound, making a backwards copy. So the tapes were digitized backwards, and the editor reversed them into pretty good quality recordings. The tapes were part of a series called "Lectures in Speech Pathology and Audiology" and were copyrighted by Luther F. Sies, Ed.D, of the Fine Arts Recording Company, Inc. An internet search found Dr. Sies in Arizona and he gladly consented to allowing the tapes to be placed online.

    Charles Van Riper - 1962, Causes, Nature and Development of Stuttering
    refers to the famous Birch Tree
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (17.8MB)
    Added February 1, 2004 with permission of Luther Sies, who produced and edited the original tape.
    Fred Murray - 1963 presentation to a Stuttering Methods class in Denver, CO
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (17MB)
    February 1, 2004 with permission of Dr. Murray
    Charles Van Riper - Presentation for the Council of Adult Stutterers
    "I am a member of the clan of the Tangled Tongue," November 20, 1966
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (19.6MB)
    Added April 18, 2004.
    Bryng Bryngelson - The Current Status of the Problem of Stuttering - 1963
    Read more about Bryng Bryngelson here
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (17.7MB)
    Added May 9, 2004.
    A conversation between Charles Van Riper and Joseph Green Sheehan - made at the annual meeting of the Council of Adult Stutterers held on November 20, 1966
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (18.7MB)
    Added November 1, 2004
    Keynote speech by Robert Quesal - at the 1998 NSP (now NSA) convention in Atlanta, GA.
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (23.3MB)
    Added February 2, 2005

    Various Treatment Philosophies Explained/Demonstrated

    The audio clips below are edited versions of people talking about or demonstrating various treatment programs. Important disclaimer: The speeches are provided here for their historical significance, and reflect different views of stuttering treatment. The professionals were explaining their ideas at one point in time and may or may not reflect what they believed later. It is important that information from these clips not be taken as specific treatment suggestions for individuals who stutter. Determination of treatment for stuttering is best done in face-to-face coordination with a certified Speech-Language Pathologist.

    Donald Mowrer - 1975
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (19.1MB)
    Added July 20, 2003 with permission of Donald Mowrer.
    Dean Williams - 1975 - Read more about Dean Williams here
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (20.1MB)
    Added July 20, 2003.
    Charles Van Riper - 1975 interview by Anders Lundberg and Lennart Larsson from Sweden.
    Read more about Charles Van Riper here
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (20MB)
    Added June 4, 2003.
    Charles Van Riper - Date unknown, Treatment of the Young Stutterer
    Read more about Charles Van Riper here
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (14.8MB)
    Added February 1, 2004 with permission of Luther Sies, who produced and edited the original tape.
    Florence Yost - 2003 Interview about Experience with Benjamin Bogue School of Stammering
    Indianapolis, IN
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (4.9MB)
    Added February 4, 2004.

    Bryng Bryngelson - 1963 Speech Improvement for Stutterers - Children and Adults
    Read more about Bryng Bryngelson here
    Listen with Quick Time or Real Audio (20.9M) 35 minutes
    Added May 8, 2004
    Anders Lundberg - 2015 - Es passieren wirklich Heldentaten in der Therapie
    (translated "My patients wrestle their demons very bravely in therapy") (in German).
    Lundberg trained with Charles Van Riper
    Listen on YouTube (1 hour 11 minutes)
    Added August 26, 2015
    Frederick Murray 2019 Last Thoughts About Stuttering
    January 19, 2019 interview by Nathan Mayfield
    Read more about Fred Murray here
    Listen on You Tube 35 minutes
    Added April 15, 2019

    A Journey through Stuttering with Dr. Fred Murray

    A series of historic video-taped interviews with Dr. Murray, 2015.
    Executive Producer: Martine Vanryckeghem, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, BCFS, ASHA Fellow, Professor, University of Central Florida,
    Videographer/Editor: Mike Bauer

    Text Interviews


    last modified April 15, 2019