Inspiring American and Global Audiences: The Rhetorical Power of Randy Pausch's Last Lecture in the Digital Age (Report‪)‬

Randy Pausch, Professor of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in the U.S., delivered his last lecture "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams" on September 18, 2007 after doctors told him that he had only months to live. The speech became an instant success and inspired millions around the world, thanks to media coverage and digital technologies. His book, The Last Lecture, which was published soon after his speech, "topped bestseller lists across the globe" ("Author of Hit Lecture Dies at 47," 2008) and had been translated into 30 languages by July, 2008 (Chute, 2008). Pausch died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 47 on July 24, 2008. As the CMU web site put it, "Carnegie Mellon--and the world--are better places for having had Randy Pausch in them" ("In Memoriam," 2008). On the day he passed away, CMU's home page "could not be opened, probably because it was overwhelmed with traffic from all over the Internet" (Fischman, 2008). From the time news about his death broke until around 3 p.m. that day, more than 500 messages were posted to abcnews.com alone, expressing sadness, sending condolences to Pausch's family, and showing admiration for his courage to face death with "dignity" and "grace." Pausch was described as "incredible," "amazing," "remarkable," and "inspirational" (ABC News, 2008). Pausch received extensive media coverage inside and outside the U.S. after his famous lecture. Major media outlets in the U.S. such as the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the USA Today, ABC, and CNN all covered his story. ABC News listed him as one of its three "Persons of the Year" for 2007, Time magazine named him as one of the world's top 100 influential people in 2008, and The Oprah Winfrey Show invited him as a guest on her daily TV program. The news media abroad, including those in Canada, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Singapore, and South Africa, covered his stories. Chinese media in Hong Kong and Chinese language web sites such as http://news.sina.com.cn/s/2008-07-31/114816035501.shtml and http://baike.baidu.com/view/1277468.htm also devoted articles to Pausch's last lecture, chronicling his life, considering his legacy, and highlighting his impact on humanity.