Corbett (October 29, 1919 – June 24, 1998) was an American rhetorician, educator, and scholarly author.
[1][3] His father worked for Northern Pacific Railroad, then later delivered milk in Los Angeles, California.
[1] In 1934, Corbett receive a scholarship to attend Marquette University High School, a Jesuit institution.
[1][3] Upon graduating in 1938, Corbett decided to become a priest and went to Venard College where he earned a degree in philosophy.
[1][3] Corbett went to the Jesuit Loyola University Chicago for his doctorate degree; his dissertation was "Hugh Blair: A Study of His Rhetorical Theory.
[3] Corbett moved to The Ohio State University in 1966 to serve as Director of Freshman English.
"[1] This last piece explored the revival of rhetoric in Speech Departments before the beginning of Corbett's advocacy.
[5] His students include Andrea Lunsford, Lisa Ede, Robert Connors, Gail Hawisher, Cheryl Glenn, Krista Radcliffe, and Sheryl Finkle.