James “Jim” Clark Ballard, a former senior lecturer and director of the Engineering Communication Center in the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis, died Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, in St. Louis following a sudden cardiac arrest. He was 79.
Ballard retired June 1, 2024, after teaching technical writing to thousands of engineering students over 54 years with the university. He began his WashU career in 1970 as a doctoral student in English in Arts & Sciences. In 1974, he joined the engineering school, which sought someone to teach writing. Ballard designed a syllabus for an undergraduate course in technical writing and got a trial semester. The technical writing course, which is still taught today, has helped students think more analytically and write more clearly.
Ballard is survived by his wife, Linda Ballard; his son, Thomas Vance Ballard (Lindsay); grandsons Zachary and Elliot Ballard; and sister Betsy (Gary) Murray.
No service is planned. The family asks that in his honor, teach someone something new. Memorial contributions are suggested to the American Civil Liberties Union, Arch City Defenders or the charity of one’s choice.
Read the full obituary on the McKelvey Engineering website.