As this journal’s tribute to his life and work indicates, D. Lawrence Wieder’s (hereafter DLW) contributions to the disciplines of sociology and communication were outstanding; he was not only a prolific scholar and avid researcher, but also a pioneer in the communication disciplines’ area of language and social interaction. His academic legacy however, extends beyond his research and writings to the many lives of graduate and undergraduate students he influenced in his roles as mentor and role-model. It is from this perspective, as DLW’s student and mentee, that I write this tribute.