Gerald Else
Encyclopedia
Gerald Frank Else was born in 1908 at Redfield, SD and died in 1982). Distinguished American classicist
, he was professor of Greek
and Latin
at University of Michigan
and University of Iowa
.
and finished his PhD there in 1934. He taught at University of Harvard until he joined the U.S. Marine Corps as a Captain in 1943. After completing his service, in 1945 he became chair of the University of Iowa
Classics Department, and in 1954 went to the University of Michigan
in Ann Arbor
, where he remained for the rest of his career. He was chair of that department from 1957-1968. During that time he founded the Center for Coordination of Ancient and Modern Studies, seeking to unite the humanities and to show how the study of the ancient world is relevant to modern literature and modern concerns.
Else was a member of the National Council in the Humanities, appointed by President Lyndon Johnson, and was President of the American Philological Association
in 1964.
Else retired in 1977 and died in 1982. A Festschrift
in his honor (Ancient and Modern: Essays in Honor of Gerald F. Else, ed. J. D'Arms
and J. W. Eadie) was published in 1977. He is commemorated at Michigan by an annual lecture in the humanities.
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
, he was professor of Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
and Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
at University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
and University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
.
Biography
Else studied classics and philosophy at Harvard UniversityHarvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
and finished his PhD there in 1934. He taught at University of Harvard until he joined the U.S. Marine Corps as a Captain in 1943. After completing his service, in 1945 he became chair of the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
Classics Department, and in 1954 went to the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
, where he remained for the rest of his career. He was chair of that department from 1957-1968. During that time he founded the Center for Coordination of Ancient and Modern Studies, seeking to unite the humanities and to show how the study of the ancient world is relevant to modern literature and modern concerns.
Accomplishments
Else's great work is entitled, Aristotle's Poetics: The Argument. It is a meticulous, monumental reading of Aristotle's treatise that was published in 1957. Widely regarded as a foundational work of literary theory, Else's other important contribution is The Origin and Early Form of Greek Tragedy, which was published in 1965. In this work he argued against the view of tragedy as having arisen from religious ritual. Else wrote several other works on Greek literature and philosophy.Else was a member of the National Council in the Humanities, appointed by President Lyndon Johnson, and was President of the American Philological Association
American Philological Association
The American Philological Association , founded in 1869, is a non-profit North American scholarly organization devoted to all aspects of Greek and Roman civilization...
in 1964.
Else retired in 1977 and died in 1982. A Festschrift
Festschrift
In academia, a Festschrift , is a book honoring a respected person, especially an academic, and presented during his or her lifetime. The term, borrowed from German, could be translated as celebration publication or celebratory writing...
in his honor (Ancient and Modern: Essays in Honor of Gerald F. Else, ed. J. D'Arms
John D'Arms
John Haughton D'Arms was the Gerald F. Else Professor of Humanities and professor of classical studies and history at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He also served as president of the American Council of Learned Societies...
and J. W. Eadie) was published in 1977. He is commemorated at Michigan by an annual lecture in the humanities.
Books
- Aristotle's Poetics: the argument. 1957
- Origin and early form of Greek tragedy. 1965
- Ancient and modern : essays in honor of Gerald F. Else. edited by John H. D'Arms, John W. Eadie. 1977
- Plato and Aristotle on poetry. Edited with introduction and notes by Peter Burian. 1986
- Aristotle Poetics. translated with an introd. and notes by Gerald F. Else.