Like so many, Monroe had a profound impact on me.  I like to think he both knew that and didn't.

I worked for his Center for Global Communication Studies for 5 years.  He gave me my first job out of college but what he really did was introduce me to a side of the world, and myself, that I didn't understand.  He seemed to have a way of doing that to everyone.  Connecting people, deepening thought and ideas, challenging you, and pushing you to grow.  It almost seemed effortless for him.  It was just who he was.

My life and my career went in an entirely different direction than I ever would have imagined for myself.  In large part because of him.  Because of what he showed me, where he sent me, who he introduced me to, and what he asked me to do.  

Every he went, and he really went everywhere, he enriched and contributed.  What a  fine example of how to live your life and impact others. Thank you Monroe.

Monroe, the wonderful mosaic of brilliance, curiosity, messiness, impatience, humor, improvised strategy, and (sometimes strategic) improvisation; staunchly, decisively, and rebelliously human. 

I miss you very much.

Dear Professor, you would be pleased to know -- albeit not surprised I think -- that your moot has greatly impacted generations of law students at Singapore Management University, from being exposed to advocacy at an international level to producing chapters and articles about international rights. Rest in peace.

For Monroe

He would have none of it


he would be impatient 
with my tears,
my tears of loss, shame, regret
he would have none of it

his support like a steady hand on my back,
our backs,
generations of those 
who weren't supposed to be 
in the strange worlds of academic wonder

his stubborn belief in those who don't fit the mold,
his insistence
that it was those on the edge 
who deserved center stage
for us to claim it

i still remember how we were introduced:
you two are both obsessed with China... 
and perhaps Austria? 
he added.
in a place too happy, sunny,
far from Beijing,
even farther, only from Vienna,
only to later return
to both cities, together.
this is how i remember him:
a force, between cultures, 
in defiance of borders,
in spite of conflict.
his insistence on 
remaking worlds of intellectual pursuit
challenging what it means to intervene.

he would be impatient with my tears
my tears of loss, shame, regret
he would have none of it

if I could only 
live up to 
his mischievous sincerity,
his self-less curiosity, 
his stubborn belief,
his stubborn belief in those who don’t fit the mold.
he would have none of it

Monroe enriched the individual lives of so many of us around the world. His amazing scholarship shaped our field, of course, but it was the personal time and attention he gave so generously that meant so much more. Monroe led in academia by pulling others up and did it with such joy and positive energy. 
I send deepest condolences to his family and wish him a peaceful rest.

Monroe was the most generous mind and voice in free speech business.

This business has always attracted absolutists and romantics, who argue constantly about ideals, rights, principles, limits. 

Monroe was neither. He was a realist, who asked what conditions make any of that possible

He studied how governments manage communication, how markets shape identity, and how those dynamics change as technology outpaces law. Well before today’s debates about platforms and algorithms, he was examining how states and companies divide authority over information.

This is why his work will keep circulating long after the current debates move on.

I don’t think anyone working in it today escapes the routes he mapped.

And if the great global seminar continues somewhere beyond our reach, I suspect Monroe is already there, reframing the question.

RIP

The memory of Monroe I treasure most goes back, I think, to the winter of 2012: he and Aimée dancing beautifully in a kafana in Belgrade, Serbia, surrounded by students celebrating one of the many moot court rounds stemming from his seminal idea.
It is not every day that you meet someone so generous in sharing both his professional and academic insights and the joyful, funny moments that touch the heart, and this is just one of the many things about Monroe that made him so special. 
Since the sad news broke, messages have been going up and down across countries and oceans, so many of us feel that as he touched our lives, he left a sparkle that changed them. It was a true blessing for all of us who crossed paths with him, whether for a long or short time, and we will always be thankful to him.

Dearest Aimee and family 

My parents (Yvonne and John), Martyn, brother (Louis in India) and I all send our love and warmth to you - and in doing so we recognise the links that you and Monroe have with so many parts of my life. Because of your care, his championing of me personally, and his friendship.

Our condolences and our love

Andrea Millwood Hargrave

What a life well-lived. Monroe was full of boyish energy, warmth, kindness, excitement and ideas. I traveled to Amman, Jordan with him on one of his many international trips, to meet with journalists and bloggers many years ago, and spent a week drinking Turkish coffee and talking about the world. And every conversation with him, even in Philadelphia,  was just as exciting a trip. Rest in peace.

I keep thinking about how rare it is to meet someone like Monroe.

He was not only a mentor, a teacher, and a friend, but a steady light in the lives of so many. Those who knew him felt it immediately. His kindness was genuine, his generosity effortless, and his empathy deeply human. He had a rare gift for making people feel seen, heard, and valued.

He was the most open-minded person many had ever known. Conversations with him were never about being right, but about understanding. His intelligence and knowledge were undeniable, yet he carried them with humility and grace. He taught not just through words, but through the way he thinks. Thoughtful, curious, and always willing to listen.

There was also a warmth to him that made everything lighter. His humor was gentle and sincere, bringing ease without ever diminishing the moment. He had a way of making people feel comfortable, of turning even ordinary interactions into something meaningful.

We used to call him “Santa,” because he was always giving. He gave his time, his guidance, his encouragement, and his care, freely and without expectation. He simply believed in people and gave them what they needed to grow.

Beyond the individuals he touched, he built something enduring. He shaped a paradigm, created programs, and trained generations of scholars who are now leading in their fields. His influence reached far beyond any one place, extending across borders and communities, shaping minds and inspiring scholars around the world.

He was truly one of a kind. His impact lives on in the countless lives he touched, shaped, and inspired. Though he is no longer with us, the kindness he showed and the legacy he built will continue to ripple through all who had the privilege of knowing him.

I’m struggling to find the right words. He was a mentor, a scholar, and a human unlike anyone else I’ve ever met in my life. He was always looking out for ways to help others. I’ve always thought he had an octopus shaped mind, capable of engaging deeply and seriously with more ideas at the same time than people can in their lifetime. He was an inspiration in more ways than I can describe. His support over the years meant more than I’ll ever be able to thank him for. His intellectual brilliance may have only been matched by his wicked sense of humor. He knew how to bring  people together, and even now I’ve spent the day remembering him with the many friends I’ve made through his global network. His memory will always be a blessing.

I worked for Prof. Price providing secretarial services when he was a professor at Cardozo School of Law.  Always a kind-hearted, easy-going, respectful, and sometimes very funny person to work for and with.  He is fondly remembered and will be missed.

Monroe was a giant in his field.  He inspired thousands.  His wisdom, creativity, compassion are legendary  I will miss him.

Monroe was a friend, advisor, and an inspiration to me both during my time as a junior faculty at Annenberg and after.  He was a giant in the field of communication and, even more importantly, a wonderful and giving person.  My life is better for having known him.

OBITUARY

Monroe Price

August 18, 1938 – March 16, 2026

Riverside Memorial Chapel

Show your support

Add a Memory

Share Obituary

Get Reminders

Services