Norman Holmes Pearson
Encyclopedia
Norman Holmes Pearson was an American academic, author
, editor
, critic
, archivist
and prominent figures in establishing American studies
as an academic discipline after the end of the Second World War.
in London during World War II, with the mission of fighting Nazi Germany. Returning to Yale he headed the new American studies program, in which scholarship quickly became an instrument of promoting liberty. Popular among undergraduates, the program sought to instruct them in the fundamentals of American civilization and thereby instill a sense of nationalism and national purpose. Also during the 1940s and 1950s, Wyoming millionaire William R. Coe made large contributions to the American studies programs at Yale and at the University of Wyoming. Coe was concerned to celebrate the 'values' of the Western United States in order to meet the 'threat of communism.' The American studies program thus reflected the worldwide anti-Communist ideological struggle.
At Yale University
, he was a Professor of English and American Studies. He was twice a Guggenheim fellow
, in 1948 and 1956.
The most widely held works by Pearson include:
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
, critic
Critic
A critic is anyone who expresses a value judgement. Informally, criticism is a common aspect of all human expression and need not necessarily imply skilled or accurate expressions of judgement. Critical judgements, good or bad, may be positive , negative , or balanced...
, archivist
Archivist
An archivist is a professional who assesses, collects, organizes, preserves, maintains control over, and provides access to information determined to have long-term value. The information maintained by an archivist can be any form of media...
and prominent figures in establishing 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...
as an academic discipline after the end of the Second World War.
Career
Pearson, worked for the Office of Strategic ServicesOffice of Strategic Services
The Office of Strategic Services was a United States intelligence agency formed during World War II. It was the wartime intelligence agency, and it was a predecessor of the Central Intelligence Agency...
in London during World War II, with the mission of fighting Nazi Germany. Returning to Yale he headed the new American studies program, in which scholarship quickly became an instrument of promoting liberty. Popular among undergraduates, the program sought to instruct them in the fundamentals of American civilization and thereby instill a sense of nationalism and national purpose. Also during the 1940s and 1950s, Wyoming millionaire William R. Coe made large contributions to the American studies programs at Yale and at the University of Wyoming. Coe was concerned to celebrate the 'values' of the Western United States in order to meet the 'threat of communism.' The American studies program thus reflected the worldwide anti-Communist ideological struggle.
At Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, he was a Professor of English and American Studies. He was twice a Guggenheim fellow
Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowships are American grants that have been awarded annually since 1925 by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts." Each year, the foundation makes...
, in 1948 and 1956.
Archivist
Pearson worked with Donald C. Gallup to redirect the focus of the Yale Collection of American Literature, emphasizing archival collections of twentieth-century writers. It is through the extended concept of “archives” that the collection has acquired its extra-literary materials such as photographs, works of art, and memorabilia.Honors
- Medal of Freedom, US, 6 September 1945.
- Médaille de la Reconnaissance françaiseMédaille de la Reconnaissance françaiseThe Médaille de la Reconnaissance française is a French honor medal created 13 July 1917 and awarded solely to civilians.-History:...
, France. - Légion d'honneurLégion d'honneurThe Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
, Chevalier, France. - Order of St. Olav, Knight's Cross, 1st class, Norway.
Selected works
Pearson's prolific output encompassed 164 works in 246 publications in 4 languages and 10,656 library holdings.The most widely held works by Pearson include:
- The Complete Novels and Selected Tales of Nathaniel Hawthorne by Nathaniel Hawthorne (ed. Pearson), 4 editions published between 1937 and 1965 in English and held by 1,954 libraries worldwide.
- The Oxford Anthology of American Literature (ed. Pearson), 11 editions published between 1938 and 1963 in English and held by 1,080 libraries worldwide.
- End to Torment: a Memoir of Ezra Pound by H.D. (Hilda Doolittle)(ed. Pearson), 2 editions published between 1979 and 1980 in English and held by 1,068 libraries worldwide.
- Between History & Poetry the Letters of H.D. & Norman Holmes Pearson by H. D. (ed. Pearson), 4 editions published in 1997 in English and held by 949 libraries worldwide.
- The Letters by Nathaniel Hawthorne (ed. Person), in English and held by 565 libraries worldwide
- Decade; a Collection of Poems from the First Ten Years of the Wesleyan Poetry Program (ed. Pearson), 1 edition published in 1969 in English and held by 516 libraries worldwide.
- The Portable Romantic Poets (ed. Pearson), 3 editions published between 1977 and 2006 in English and held by 209 libraries worldwide.
- Poets of the English Language (eds W. H. Auden & Pearson), 6 editions published between 1950 and 1977 in English and held by 1,576 libraries worldwide.
- Restoration and Augustan Poets: Milton to Goldsmith (eds W. H. Auden & Pearson), 4 editions published between 1950 and 1977 in English and held by 201 libraries worldwide.
- Victorian and Edwardian Poets: Tennyson to Yeats (eds. W. H. Auden & Pearson), 3 editions published between 1950 and 1977 in English and held by 196 libraries worldwide.
Archival resources
- "Pearson Norman Holmes, 1901-1975," Arlin Turner Papers, 1927–1980, Duke University Libraries.
- Robin W. Winks, Cloak & Gown: Scholars in the Secret War, 1939-1961.
- James Laughlin, Peter Glassgold, New Directions 42