This talk examines a critical period of rhetorical studies when memory was effectively "forgotten" as part of the field's core. Following World War II, teachers of rhetoric often dismissed mnemonic training, which had been considered the nexus of rhetorical training previously, noting that “not much can be said in a theoretical way about the process of memorizing” (Corbett, 1965). The reason for this was due to a proliferation of new information technologies that were originally developed to more efficiently distribute an abundance of post-war scientific research. "Where Memory Lost Its Place" argues that the disciplinary abandonment of memory reflects a deeper reconfiguration of rhetoric, discussing how memory was outsourced to new disciplines invested in circulating information and raising new questions about the relationship between rhetorical practice, information technologies, and the theoretical heart of memory.
About Nate Johnson
Nate Johnson, is Director for the Programs in Rhetoric and Composition and an Associate Professor of Rhetoric at The University of South Florida. Dr. Johnson studies the history of information technologies, focusing on how infrastructure and labor shape large technical systems. His award-winning book, Architects of Memory (2020) examined how 1940s wartime innovations continue to influence modern information systems. His current work explores transformation in human memory in times of technological disruption. Prof. Johnson is the 2025–2026 Nan Johnson Fellow in the Writing, Rhetoric, and Literacy program in the Department of English. The Nan Johnson Fellowship for Archival Research was established to support access to the Nan Johnson and Jerry Tarver collections, as well as other Ohio State archives and special collections related to the history of writing, rhetoric, and literacy.