Walter Harne Manning passed away at Methodist Hospice Residence in Memphis, Tennessee, USA on Tuesday, September 12, 2023 due to complications from Alzheimer’s.

He completed his Masters of Education from Penn State University in 1967, and Ph.D. from Michigan State University in 1972. He began his career in academia at The University of Nebraska and transferred to The University of Memphis School of Communication Sciences and Disorders in 1977.

Walt was a natural clinician, scholar, teacher, and mentor. He quickly became known for his sense of humor, quick wit, and boisterous, unmistakable laugh. Walt found his calling working with persons who stutter, and, as a person who stuttered himself, he intimately understood the experience of stuttering and always used that to help others both in the clinic and the classroom. Despite a wealth of academic knowledge and recognition as a world-leading expert in the area of stuttering, the defining hallmark of Walt’s career was that he cared deeply and passionately for the people he worked with, both clients and students, and he valued the personhood of each and every one of them.

His textbook, Clinical Decision-Making in Fluency Disorders, is loved by students and clinicians alike for its engaging style that is a reflection of Walt’s care and love for the topic. It is a tribute to Walt’s storehouse of knowledge about stuttering but also to his respect and admiration for those who choose to work with persons who stutter.
When he retired in 2016 after over 40 years in the field, he left an indelible contribution in the field of fluency disorders, with over 67 publications and numerous worldwide speaking engagements. But even more, he improved the lives of all who met him, and he left a legacy that outlives him as his students and all who learned from him continue his work.