Frederick Samuel Boas was an English scholar of early modern drama. He was born on 24 July 1862, the eldest son of Hermann Boas of Belfast. He attended Clifton College

Clifton College

Clifton College is a co-educational independent school in Clifton, Bristol, England, founded in 1862. In its early years it was notable for emphasising science in the curriculum, and for being less concerned with social elitism, e.g. by admitting day-boys on equal terms and providing a dedicated...

 as a scholar and went up to Balliol College, Oxford

Balliol College, Oxford

Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....

, in 1881. During his time at Balliol his tutor was (later Professor) David George Ritchie

David George Ritchie

David George Ritchie was a Scottish philosopher who had a distinguished university career at Edinburgh, and Balliol College, Oxford, and after being fellow of Jesus and tutor of Balliol was elected professor of logic and metaphysics at St Andrews...

. He held college Open and Jenkyns Scholarships and took a First in Classical Moderations in 1882, followed by a 1st in Literae Humaniores

Literae Humaniores

Literae Humaniores is the name given to an undergraduate course focused on Classics at Oxford and some other universities.The Latin name means literally "more humane letters", but is perhaps better rendered as "Advanced Studies", since humaniores has the sense of "more refined" or "more learned",...

 in 1885 and a 1st in Modern History and BA in 1886, which last he converted to MA in 1888. His subsequent career was: Oxford University Extension Lecturer 1887-1901; Professor of English Literature, Queen's College, Belfast, and Fellow of the Royal University of Ireland

Royal University of Ireland

The Royal University of Ireland was founded in accordance with the University Education Act 1879 as an examining and degree-awarding university based on the model of the University of London. A Royal Charter was issued on April 27, 1880 and examinations were opened to candidates irrespective of...

 1901-1905, Librarian 1903-1905; Clark Lecturer, Trinity College, Cambridge

Trinity College, Cambridge

Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...

, 1904; Inspector of English, London County Council

London County Council

London County Council was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889–1965 existence, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council...

 Education Department 1905-1927; First Honorary General Secretary of the English Association 1906-1909 and later President; Honorary LLD

Legum Doctor

Legum Doctor is a doctorate-level academic degree in law, or an honorary doctorate, depending on the jurisdiction. The double L in the abbreviation refers to the early practice in the University of Cambridge to teach both Canon Law and Civil Law, the double L indicating the plural, Doctor of both...

, University of St Andrews

University of St Andrews

The University of St Andrews, informally referred to as "St Andrews", is the oldest university in Scotland and the third oldest in the English-speaking world after Oxford and Cambridge. The university is situated in the town of St Andrews, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. It was founded between...

, 1909; President, Elizabethan Literature Society; Fellow and Professor of the Royal Society of Literature

Royal Society of Literature

The Royal Society of Literature is the "senior literary organisation in Britain". It was founded in 1820 by George IV, in order to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". The Society's first president was Thomas Burgess, who later became the Bishop of Salisbury...

; Visiting Professor of English, Columbia University

Columbia University

Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...

, 1934; Hon D. Litt., Belfast, 1935; broadcast talk 13 July 1939, on Benjamin Jowett

Benjamin Jowett

Benjamin Jowett was renowned as an influential tutor and administrative reformer in the University of Oxford, a theologian and translator of Plato. He was Master of Balliol College, Oxford.-Early career:...

, Master of Balliol; Shakespeare Lecture, British Academy

British Academy

The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national body for the humanities and the social sciences. Its purpose is to inspire, recognise and support excellence in the humanities and social sciences, throughout the UK and internationally, and to champion their role and value.It receives an annual...

, 1943; President, English Association, 1944; Vice-President, Royal Society of Literature, 1945. He was awarded the Royal Society of Literature Silver Medal in 1952 and an OBE in 1953.

He married, in 1892, Henrietta O'Brien, daughter of SJ Owen, Reader

Reader (academic rank)

The title of Reader in the United Kingdom and some universities in the Commonwealth nations like Australia and New Zealand denotes an appointment for a senior academic with a distinguished international reputation in research or scholarship...

 in Indian History at the University of Oxford; they had one son. Frederick Boas died on 1 September 1957.

Works

• Shakespeare and His Predecessors (1896)
• The Tempest (1897) editor
• The Works of Thomas Kyd
  Thomas Kyd
  Thomas Kyd was an English dramatist, the author of The Spanish Tragedy, and one of the most important figures in the development of Elizabethan drama....
  
   (1901) editor
• Giles
  Giles Fletcher
  Giles Fletcher was an English poet chiefly known for his long allegorical poem Christ's Victory and Triumph ....
  
   and Phineas Fletcher
  Phineas Fletcher
  Phineas Fletcher was an English poet, elder son of Dr Giles Fletcher, and brother of Giles the younger. He was born at Cranbrook, Kent, and was baptized on 8 April 1582.-Life:...
  
  , Poetical Works (1908) two volumes, editor
• Philaster or Love Lies A-Bleeding by Beaumont and Fletcher
  Beaumont and Fletcher
  Beaumont and Fletcher were the English dramatists Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher, who collaborated in their writing during the reign of James I ....
  
   (1908) editor
• The taming of the shrew (1908) editor
• University Drama in the Tudor Age (1914)
• Songs of Ulster and Balliol (1917)
• Shakespeare and the Universities: And Other Studies in Elizabethan Drama (1923)
• The Year's Work in English Studies (1928) co-editor, and annually 1930-1950
• Marlowe And His Circle: A Biographical Survey (1929)
• Elizabethan and Other Essays by Sidney Lee
  Sidney Lee
  Sir Sidney Lee was an English biographer and critic.He was born Solomon Lazarus Lee at 12 Keppel Street, Bloomsbury, London and educated at the City of London School and at Balliol College, Oxford, where he graduated in modern history in 1882. In the next year he became assistant-editor of the...
  
   (1929) editor
• An Introduction to the Reading of Shakespeare (1930)
• Six Plays by Contemporaries of Shakespeare (1932) editor
• The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus (1932) editor
• An Introduction to Tudor Drama (1933)
• Five Pre-Shakespearean Comedies (1934) editor
• The Diary of Thomas Crosfield (1935) editor
• From Richardson To Pinero: Some Innovators and Idealists (1936)
• Christopher Marlowe: A Biographical and Critical Study (1940)
• American Scenes, Tudor To Georgian, In The Literary Mirror (1944)
• Songs & Lyrics from the English Playbooks (1945) editor
• An Introduction to Stuart Drama (1946)
• Ovid And The Elizabethans (1947)
• Songs and Lyrics from the English Masques and Light Operas (1949) editor
• The Change of Crownes: A Tragi-Comedy by The Honourable Edward Howard
  Edward Howard
  Edward Howard may refer to:*Edward Howard, 1st Baron Howard of Escrick , British nobleman and parliamentarian*Edward Henry Howard, English Roman Catholic cardinal*Edward Howard , centenarian Roman Catholic archbishop in Oregon, USA*Edward L...
  
   (1949) editor
• Thomas Heywood
  Thomas Heywood
  Thomas Heywood was a prominent English playwright, actor, and author whose peak period of activity falls between late Elizabethan and early Jacobean theatre.-Early years:...
  
  (1950)
• Queen Elizabeth in Drama and Related Studies (1950)
• An Introduction to Eighteenth Century Drama 1700-1780 (1953)
• Sir Philip Sidney, Representative Elizabethan; his life and writings (1955)