Born on July 20, 1929, in Two Harbors, Minnesota, Willard R. Zemlin was a pioneering figure who brought a rich array of skills and experiences to the field of speech and hearing science. He was also an educator, researcher, and author. Before beginning his academic journey, he worked in radio and television repair and as an engineer with the Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range Railroad. Zemlin also served as a sergeant in the U.S. Army infantry during the Korean War. 

His wife, Eileen, a speech-language pathologist, inspired him to change paths and enter speech pathology. This passion led him to earn a Ph.D. focusing on vocal science after completing a bachelor's degree in experimental psychology (1957) and a master's degree in speech pathology (1960) at the University of Minnesota.

In 1962, Zemlin joined the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign as an assistant professor of Speech and Hearing Science, where he connected research, clinical practice, and teaching. His innovative approach involved using his photographic skills to capture detailed images of anatomical structures during dissections, enhancing his students’ understanding by bringing complex anatomical features to life in his lectures. These images became an invaluable part of his teaching and were later incorporated into his pioneering textbook, Speech and Hearing Science: Anatomy and Physiology, published in 1964. This work, which covered key areas such as breathing, phonation, articulation, the nervous system, hearing, and the embryology of speech mechanisms, quickly became the foundational text in the field, featuring over 400 images and illustrations (drawn by Zemlin). Zemlin continued to innovate, later developing high-speed photographic techniques to capture laryngeal behavior.

Zemlin believed that voice practitioners need a deep understanding of how the vocal mechanism functions. In his book Speech and Hearing Science: Anatomy and Physiology, he states:

“Each of us who is concerned with the rehabilitation of speech, language and hearing should be able to visualize the anatomical structures involved, to understand their usual functions, and to hypothesize how they might function under adverse circumstances.” 

(Zemlin, 1997, as cited in "Willard R. Zemlin," n.d.)

Promoted to professor in 1971 and holding a joint appointment in the School of Clinical Medicine, Zemlin directed the Speech and Hearing Research Laboratory from 1962 to 1975. There, he systematically investigated the anatomy and physiology of speech, language, and hearing, often with limited resources, demonstrating a talent for making complex information accessible. This skill, alongside his ability to foster strong relationships with his students, made him an excellent educator. Many of his students went on to excel within the field of voice including SHS associate professor emerita, Cynthia Johnson Parsons, who said of Zemlin: "Bill also reminded our communication sciences and disorders field repeatedly that there was a great deal of normal variability in anatomical structures of the speech and hearing mechanism, which was never accounted for in CSD and medical textbooks. He was a strong advocate for observing and studying as many exemplars of an anatomical structure as you could find across people, in order to realize when a structure deviated substantially from normally functioning ones.” ("Department of Speech and Hearing Science: Zemlin," n.d., para.7)

His dedication to advancing knowledge earned him such honors as a fellowship from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and a Swedish Medical Research Council Fellowship in 1972-1973.

Dr. Zemlin retired as professor emeritus in 1985, although his contributions continued through a visiting professorship at Memphis State University. He also collaborated with the University of Tennessee Health Science Center to further develop his slide collection. 

Willard R. Zemlin died in 1998. In 2000, ASHA established the annual Willard R. Zemlin Lecture in Speech Science to honor his legacy and enduring influence on speech-language pathology and audiology.

References

• "Department of Speech and Hearing Science: Willard R. Zemlin." College of Applied Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Accessed here​
• Distributed Museum, University of Illinois. "Willard R. Zemlin." Accessed here​
• "Inside Out: Shaping the Teachings of Speech & Hearing Anatomy." News-Gazette, 2023. Accessed here​
• Zemlin, W. R. (1997). Speech and hearing science: Anatomy and physiology (4th ed.). Pearson. Quoted in "Willard R. Zemlin," Distributed Museum, University of Illinois. Retrieved from https://distributedmuseum.illinois.edu/exhibit/willard-r-zemlin/