Undertaken at the request of students and colleagues, and because of the many request for copies of his speeches, this book presents a biography and speech transcripts of Ezra Christian Buehler, long-time professor of speech communication at the University of Kansas. Following the preface, the first section contains a biographical sketch, punctuated with Buehler's own recollections. The second section comprises the major portion of the book, and is divided into four chapters concerning Buehler's professional ideas. The first chapter contains reflections on the history of the speech profession, while the second chapter contains speeches made during Buehler's tenure at the University of Kansas. Chapter three contains essays and speech transcripts dealing with the nature of the speech act and human communication. The fourth chapter contains recollections of Buehler's experiences with orator William Jennings Bryan, and concludes with Buehler's 10 guidelines for happiness while growing older. (HTH)