Joe Gow

Born in Newark, New York, Gow initially enrolled at West Chester University of Pennsylvania before transferring to New York University and transferring again to Pennsylvania State University, where he earned an undergraduate degree in journalism in 1982. Gow received a master's degree in Speech Communication from the University of Alabama, then returned to Penn State to earn a Ph.D. in Speech Communication."[https://www.newspapers.com/article/wisconsin-state-journal-raises-approved/137651825/ Raises approved for most UW chancellors] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231230010433/https://www.newspapers.com/article/wisconsin-state-journal-raises-approved/137651825/ |date=2023-12-30 }}", Wisconsin State Journal (December 9, 2018), p. C2."[https://www.newspapers.com/article/centre-daily-times-johnny-deadline-rock/137655144/ Johnny Deadline rock 'n' roll band back after 4 years] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231230015913/https://www.newspapers.com/article/centre-daily-times-johnny-deadline-rock/137655144/ |date=2023-12-30 }}", Centre Daily Times (November 13, 1987), p. C-1. Before pursuing his advanced degrees, he spent two years as the guitarist and frontman of a rock band called Johnny Deadline, which released an EP titled Whatever Happened to Rock & Roll in 1982. The band broke up later that year, but reunited for shows in 1987, while Gow was teaching for a year at the University of Cincinnati, and had a reunion tour in 1999, while Gow was employed as a professor of communications at Alfred University."[https://www.newspapers.com/article/centre-daily-times-band-profile-johnny/137653939/ Band Profile: Johnny Deadline] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231230014125/https://www.newspapers.com/article/centre-daily-times-band-profile-johnny/137653939/ |date=2023-12-30 }}", Centre Daily Times (July 2, 1999), p. 7C. While at Alfred, Gow, then director of the communications studies program, published a 1993 study on the influence of MTV, concluding that male performers were substantially over-represented,"[https://www.newspapers.com/article/star-gazette-is-it-mantv/137656874/ Is it M(an)TV?]", Elmira Star-Gazette (July 11, 1993), p. E1. despite the "revolutionary" status of the enterprise, writing that MTV "finds itself in the incongruous position of presenting videos that reinforce very traditional gender definitions"."[https://www.newspapers.com/article/pittsburgh-post-gazette-mtv-study/137656478/ MTV Study] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231230021954/https://www.newspapers.com/article/pittsburgh-post-gazette-mtv-study/137656478/ |date=2023-12-30 }}", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (September 20, 1993), p. C-7.

In 2001, Gow became dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Winona State University in Winona, Minnesota, and in February 2004, Gow was hired as dean of liberal arts at Nebraska Wesleyan University."[https://www.newspapers.com/article/lincoln-journal-star/15172249/ Nebraska Wesleyan hires new dean of liberal arts]", Lincoln Journal Star (February 21, 2004), p. 5B. In 2006, Gow was promoted to serve as interim president of Nebraska Wesleyan for one year, insisting on a salary tens of thousands of dollars lower than the salary that was offered."[https://www.newspapers.com/article/lincoln-journal-star-wesleyan-has-interi/137652461/ Wesleyan has interim president, at a discount]", Lincoln Journal Star (March 31, 2006), p. B1. Described as "a student and faculty favorite", his salary decision presented a stark contrast with that of his predecessor, who had secured a $750,000 retirement package when leaving the position.

Gow began as chancellor of the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse on February 1, 2007."[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-winona-daily-news-gow-gets-started-a/137667523/ Gow gets started at UW-L] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231231212659/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-winona-daily-news-gow-gets-started-a/137667523/ |date=2023-12-31 }}", The Winona Daily News (February 2, 2007), p. 3A. Shortly after taking over as chancellor, he performed for students at a battle of the bands at the Cartwright Center's "Cellar" restaurant.{{cite news|title=Battle of the Bands top group performs Thursday night: Chancellor Gow is Cellar warm-up act for performance |publisher=University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Campus News |date=April 4, 2007 |url=http://www.uwlax.edu/Eagle/07/04-04/battle.html |access-date=June 10, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929083433/http://www.uwlax.edu/Eagle/07/04-04/battle.html |archive-date=September 29, 2007 }} In 2018, Gow courted controversy when he brought pornographic actress Nina Hartley to the campus to speak as part of a campus "Free Speech Week", paying her $5,000 out of university funds for her appearance.{{cite web|url=https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/education/2023/08/31/uw-la-crosse-chancellor-joe-gow-to-step-down-return-to-faculty/70719884007/|title=UW-La Crosse Chancellor Joe Gow is stepping down. What he's learned in 17 years on the job|first1=Kelly|last1=Meyerhofer|website=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|date=August 31, 2023|access-date=December 30, 2023|archive-date=December 28, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231228030220/https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/education/2023/08/31/uw-la-crosse-chancellor-joe-gow-to-step-down-return-to-faculty/70719884007/|url-status=live}} Gow was reprimanded for this event, and was one of a handful of university chancellors in the Wisconsin state system who was denied an annual raise. In August 2023, Gow announced that he planned to step down as chancellor in 2024, and at the time the announcement was met with praise for his work during his tenure.

In December 2023, Gow was terminated from his position as chancellor when it was discovered that he and his current wife, Carmen Wilson, also a former professor at the university, uploaded adult videos of themselves to websites such as OnlyFans and PornHub. The couple also wrote two books together, Married with Benefits: Our Real-Life Adult Industry Adventures, and Monogamy with Benefits: How Porn Enriches Our Relationship, under the pen names of Geri and Jay Hart. The couple created social media profiles on several services under the name, "Sexy Happy Couple", and hosted a YouTube channel titled "Sexy Healthy Cooking", which featured videos of them cooking vegan dishes with pornographic actors.

Gow challenged the decision as a violation of his freedom of speech.{{cite web |author=WEAU Staff |date=30 December 2023 |title=Joe Gow speaks up after termination, considers legal action |url=https://www.weau.com/2023/12/30/joe-gow-speaks-up-after-termination-considers-legal-action/ |access-date=31 December 2023 |publisher=WEAU News}} According to Gow, he did not use University of Wisconsin resources in the production of the videos or mention his connection to the college.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/29/us/wisconsin-la-crosse-joe-gow-terminated/index.html|title=University of Wisconsin – La Crosse chancellor removed from post over pornographic videos made with his wife, reports say|first1=Melissa|last1=Alonso|first2=Sara|last2=Smart|date=December 29, 2023|website=CNN|access-date=December 30, 2023|archive-date=December 30, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231230133113/https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/29/us/wisconsin-la-crosse-joe-gow-terminated/index.html|url-status=live}} Following his termination, a local brewery capitalized on the controversy by offering a "Hot for Chancellor" beer featuring a caricature of Gow on the can.{{Cite news|url=https://wtaq.com/2024/01/08/749784/|title=La Crosse Craft Brewer Unveils Joe Gow Themed Beer|work=WTAQ|date=January 8, 2024|access-date=January 11, 2024|archive-date=September 30, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240930073232/https://wtaq.com/2024/01/08/749784/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2024/01/10/fired-uw-la-crosse-chancellor-gets-his-own-beer|title=Fired UW La Crosse Chancellor Gets His Own Beer|first=Josh|last=Moody|website=Inside Higher Ed|date=January 8, 2024|access-date=January 11, 2024|archive-date=January 11, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240111211729/https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2024/01/10/fired-uw-la-crosse-chancellor-gets-his-own-beer|url-status=live}}

In April 2024, in addition to firing him as chancellor, the university administration sought to remove him from his position as a tenured professor.{{Cite web|url=https://apnews.com/article/wisconsin-uw-lacrosse-porn-chancellor-0fa71c528c498a25b95fdd30b5da900d|title=Former Wisconsin college chancellor fired over porn career is fighting to keep his faculty post|date=April 24, 2024|website=AP News}} In July 2024, a committee of peer-tenured faculty had voted to recommend that he be removed from his faculty position.{{cite web|url=https://www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty-issues/academic-freedom/2024/07/15/faculty-panel-recommends-firing-joe-gow|title=Faculty Panel Recommends Firing Joe Gow|first1=Josh|last1=Moody|work=Inside Higher Ed|date=July 15, 2024|access-date=July 15, 2024|archive-date=September 30, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240930073229/https://www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty-issues/academic-freedom/2024/07/15/faculty-panel-recommends-firing-joe-gow|url-status=live}} In September 2024, the Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents voted 17–0 to fire him from his tenured faculty job over making pornography. In response, Gow noted that "the regents claim to want to protect and promote free expression, but their action today shows this isn't true", describing them as "a Board of Hypocrites".{{Cite web |last=Moody |first=Josh |title=Universities of Wisconsin Fires Joe Gow Again |url=https://www.insidehighered.com/news/governance/executive-leadership/2024/09/27/universities-wisconsin-fires-joe-gow-again |access-date=2024-09-30 |website=Inside Higher Ed |language=en |archive-date=2024-09-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240929131312/https://www.insidehighered.com/news/governance/executive-leadership/2024/09/27/universities-wisconsin-fires-joe-gow-again |url-status=live }} The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression called the termination "a major blow to academic freedom and faculty free speech rights."{{Cite news |last=Redman |first=Henry |title=UW Regents fire former UW-La Crosse chancellor from faculty for porn videos |url=https://wisconsinexaminer.com/briefs/uw-regents-fire-former-uw-la-crosse-chancellor-from-faculty-for-porn-videos/ |date=2024-09-27 |access-date=2024-09-30 |website=Wisconsin Examiner |language=en-US |archive-date=2024-09-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240928180719/https://wisconsinexaminer.com/briefs/uw-regents-fire-former-uw-la-crosse-chancellor-from-faculty-for-porn-videos/ |url-status=live }}

{{reflist}}

• [https://www.uwlax.edu/profile/jgow/ University of Wisconsin–La Crosse profile of Joe Gow]

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Category:1960 births

Category:Living people

Category:People from Newark, New York

Category:Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications alumni

Category:University of Alabama alumni

Category:Pennsylvania State University faculty

Category:Alfred University faculty

Category:Winona State University faculty

Category:Nebraska Wesleyan University faculty

Category:University of Wisconsin–La Crosse faculty

Category:American male pornographic film actors