Alvin Clayton Busse 1897-1978
Alvin Clayton Busse was a native of Slayton, Minnesota and graduated with a B.A. from Macalester College in 1920. In 1924 he received a masters degree from New York University. Busse was first appointed as Instructor of Speech and Dramatics at NYU in 1921 and became an assistant professor in 1928. In 1934 he was promoted to Associate Professor and in 1950 to Professor. He worked in the department of Speech and Dramatics for 30 years.
Busse worked as Director of the Bureau of Public Occasions for New York University. In that capacity he promoted and organized pubic functions for the university. He continued to serve as the Director of the Bureau of the Public Occasions at NYU until 1942, when he left on military leave to work in the Marine Corps. Busse joined the Marine Corps during the Second World War from 1942 to 1945.
Busse had a longstanding collaborative relationship with Richard Borden, a fellow faculty member at New York University. Busse and Borden wrote a textbook on speech correction. At that time, in 1925 they were co-directors of NYU’s speech clinic. Their ’s 1925 text includes a description of several objects that for teaching articulation: “Fricator,” “Fraenum Fork,” “Ladator,” “S-Concentrator,” and “Ruvinator.” These were specialized wire tools that were developed by Borden and Busse (1925) at the New York University Speech Clinic. Each tool was designed to teach a particular speech movement. The “Fricator” was designed to hold the tongue-tip down. The “Ladator” was designed to hold the lower lip down.
Writings of Alvin Busse, arranged chronologically
Borden, R. & Busse, A. (1925). Speech Correction. Crofts & Company.
Borden, R. & Busse, A. (1926). How to win an argument. Kessinger Publishing.
Borden, R. & Busse, A. (1930) The New Public Speaking. Harper & Brothers.
Borden, R. & & Busse, A. (1936) How to Sell. Harper & Brothers.
