Durant da Ponte
Encyclopedia
Durant da Ponte was a professor of American literature at the University of Tennessee
. He was one of the founders of the Kentucky
-Tennessee
American Studies
Association. Graduate students there can receive the Durant da Ponte American Literature Fellowship, which was founded in his memory.
to Harry Graham da Ponte II and Julia Pratt. He was a direct descendant of opera
librettist
Lorenzo da Ponte
. He was the oldest of three children, having a younger sister Lyndall, and a younger brother, Harry Graham da Ponte III. He married Martha Lee Osborne, a former professor of Philosophy at the University of Tennessee, and had two children, David and Graham. He died in a plane crash in 1964.
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
. He was one of the founders of the Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
-Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
American Studies
American studies
American studies or American civilization is an interdisciplinary field dealing with the study of the United States. It traditionally incorporates the study of history, literature, and critical theory, but also includes fields as diverse as law, art, the media, film, religious studies, urban...
Association. Graduate students there can receive the Durant da Ponte American Literature Fellowship, which was founded in his memory.
Life
Durant da Ponte was born on July 7, 1918 in New Orleans, LouisianaLouisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
to Harry Graham da Ponte II and Julia Pratt. He was a direct descendant of opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
librettist
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
Lorenzo da Ponte
Lorenzo Da Ponte
Lorenzo Da Ponte was a Venetian opera librettist and poet. He wrote the librettos for 28 operas by 11 composers, including three of Mozart's greatest operas, Don Giovanni, The Marriage of Figaro and Così fan tutte....
. He was the oldest of three children, having a younger sister Lyndall, and a younger brother, Harry Graham da Ponte III. He married Martha Lee Osborne, a former professor of Philosophy at the University of Tennessee, and had two children, David and Graham. He died in a plane crash in 1964.