James I. Merrill (AC 1947) and William S. Burford (AC 1949) Correspondence

James Ingram Merrill was born on March 3, 1926, son of Hellen Ingram Merrill (later Plummer) and Charles E. Merrill (AC 1908). Merrill prepared for college at Lawrenceville School and entered Amherst with the Class of 1947 in the summer of 1943. Merrill interrupted his studies between May, 1944 and February, 1945 when he served in the Army Enlisted Reserves. He returned to graduate in June, 1947. Merrill was on good terms with the College throughout his life, returning to teach, serve as a fellow, give readings, and participate in a variety of College events. A detailed chronology of the poet's association with Amherst and a comprehensive list of Merrill's Amherst College undergraduate courses follow:

1943 summer term

Matriculated; lived in Psi Upsilon House, room 6 (through May 1944)

1943 July 2

Listed in the "Class of 1947 Directory" published in The Gazette of Amherst College

1943-1944

Listed in the Amherst College Catalogue under the "Class of 1947" for the summer (July 1-Oct 13, 1943) and fall (Oct 21-Feb 9, 1944) terms

1943 October -1944 February

Roomed in Psi Upsilon House, room 6

1943 October 1-2

Played the butler, Johann Dwornitschek, in a production of Molnar's The Play's the Thing

1943 October 29

Listed in the "College Directory - Winter Term" published in The Gazette of Amherst College

1943 November

Author of "Campus Comment" in Amherst Graduates' Quarterly

1944 February-May

Roomed in Psi Upsilon House, room 6

1944 February

Author of "Undergraduate Comment" in Amherst Graduates' Quarterly

1944

Appears in the freshman group photograph in The Olio

1944-1945

Listed in the Amherst College Catalogue under the "Class of 1947" for the spring (February 17-May 31, 1944) term

1944 May 27

Entered the Army Enlisted Reserve

1945 January 24

Discharged from the Army 1945-1946 Listed in the Amherst College Catalogue under the "Class of 1947" for the spring (February 15-May 29, 1945), summer (June 28-September 19, 1945), and fall (September 27-February 2, 1946) terms

1945 February 15

Re-enrolled at Amherst College

1945 February-May

Roomed in Chi Psi Lodge (to February 1946

1945 February 20

Listed in the "Amherst College Directory" published in The Jeff

1945 June 30

Listed in the "Amherst College Directory" for summer term published in The Jeff

1945 summer term

Roomed in Chi Psi Lodge

1945 September 28

Listed in the "Amherst College Directory" for fall term published in The Jeff

1945 October -1946

February Roomed in Chi Psi Lodge

1945 October 20

Mentioned in an article in The Jeff about the Orphee production ("Kirby Theatre Guild Presentation For Fall To Be Two One Act Plays")

1945 November 30

Mentioned in an article in The Jeff about the Orphee production ("My Heart's In The Highlands And Orphee To Open At Kirby Theatre")

1945 December 6-8

Played the title role in a production of Cocteau's Orphee

1945 December 7

Mentioned in an article in The Jeff about the Orphee production ("Casts of Kirby Theatre Plays Demonstrated Great Skill and Poise")

1945 December 14

Appears in the Theatre Guild photograph ("Brains Behind Guild") and the Orphee photograph ("Orphee's Best Friend") in The Jeff

1946-1947

Listed in the Amherst College Catalogue under the "Class of 1947" for the spring (February 4-June 11, 1946) and fall (September 25-February 1, 1947) terms

1946 spring term

Roomed at 24 Tyler Place [Crosby's?] (at least to Feb 1947)

1946 February 8

Article in The Jeff about Merrill's election as President of The Medusa ("Whicher to Read Own Works At Medusa"); Merrill also listed in "Extra-curricular Activities"

1946 May 17

Article in The Jeff about the receiving the Irene Glascock memorial poetry prize from Mount Holyoke College ("Amherst Bard Wins Holyoke Poet Prize")

1946 May 28

Mentioned in article in The Jeff about The Masquers ("Reorganization, Election Of Officers Features Return Of The Masquers")

1946

Listed as an Olio contributor in The 1946 Olio (with red paper covers), page 35, which was produced in May of 1945 (the Class of 1946 graduated in May 1945 because the College accelerated the program due to the war)

1946 June

Appears in Kirby Theatre Guild and The Medusa photographs in The Olio (white hardcover), pages 60-61, page 65

1946-1947 fall term

Roomed at 24 Tyler Place [Crosby's?]

1946 fall

Edited The Medusa with William Burford (AC 1949). The journal contained four Merrill poems: "The Broken Bowl," "From Morning into Morning," "Medusa," "The Black Swan"

1946 December 10

Election to Phi Beta Kappa noted in an article in The Amherst Student ("Sedelow Chosen Phi Beta Kappa Head; New Members Selected")

1947 May 14

Mentioned in an article in The Amherst Student about the Masquers productions ("Petrified Forest; Sherwood Drama To Be Followed by One-Act Plays")

1947 May 22-23

Production of The Birthday, a play in blank verse by Merrill, at Kirby Theater

1947 May 28

Received the Collin Armstrong (AC 1877) Poetry Prize

1947 May 28

Mentioned in an article in The Amherst Student about workshop dramas ("Second Series Of Workshop Dramas Presented In Kirby")

1947

In The Olio: senior photograph, page 42; Phi Beta Kappa photograph, page 75; The Masquers photograph, page [80]; list of activities, page 132

1947 June 15

Senior honors thesis: "A la Recherche du Temps Perdu :Impressionism in Literature"

Awarded a B.A. degree summa cum laude, English major, at the 127th Commencement. (The degree was voted by the Trustees, on May 3, 1947)

1947-1948

Listed in the Amherst College Catalogue in the "Honors" section for membership in the Phi Beta Kappa Society and as the 1947 recipient of the Collin Armstrong Poetry Prize for Eight Poems, "the best original poems in a group." Also listed under "Degrees Conferred June 15, 1947"

1950

Twenty-One Lyrics, a production of G. F. Whicher's Humanities 1- 2 course, includes Merrill's poem "The Broken Bowl"

1951 May

Review in Amherst Alumni News ("Amherst Authors" section, "1942 and 1947") of Merrill's book First Poems

1951

Ten Student Poems: A Selection of Poetry Composed by Students in English 23-24, Advanced Composition, at Amherst College, 1946-1951 (Merrill's poem "The Forms of Death: I, II, III, IV")

1955 February 10

Article in The Amherst Student about Merrill's comedy The Immortal Husband ("Comedy By Merrill '47 Opens Soon In New York")

1955-1956

Visiting Assistant Professor of English. Taught English 21 and 22, Introduction to Literature, and English 23 and 24, Advanced Composition

Merrill lived on Market Hill Road (at Professor Walker Gibson's house while Gibson was away on leave), his campus office was in Grosvenor 26

1956 January

Review in Amherst Alumni News of The Misanthrope by Molière,translated by Richard Wilbur '42

1956 May 24

Mentioned in an article in The Amherst Student about faculty who were leaving: Merrill was to travel the world ("Twenty-Seven Of Faculty To Leave Amherst In Next Year")

1956

Faculty photograph in The Olio, page 25

1957 April

Review in Amherst Alumni News ("Amherst Authors" section, "1947") of Merrill's book The Seraglio

1963 January 7

Announcement in The Amherst Student ("Poetry Here Tuesday Merrill '47 To Read") for January 8 poetry reading

1963 January 8

Poetry reading in Johnson Chapel

1963 January 10

Article in The Amherst Student ("James Merrill At Amherst") about his January 8 poetry reading

1968 June 7

Received an Honorary Litt.D. degree at the 147th Commencement

1972 fall

Announcement in Amherst ("Amherst Authors" section, "1947") of Merrill's book Braving the Elements

1973 winter

Article in Amherst ("James Merrill '47 Wins Bollingen Prize") about winning the prize, for Braving the Elements

1973 December 10

Poetry reading in Johnson Chapel

1977 spring

Announcement in Amherst ("Amherst Authors" section, "Merrill Wins Pulitzer") about winning the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, for Divine Comedies

1980 May 24

Class Day speaker for Senior Week and Commencement

1980 summer

Article in Amherst ("The man in manifesto") about his Class Day appearance

1982 June

Sent news and photograph for the Classes of 1947 and 1948's 35th Reunion Book

1983 spring

Article in Amherst ("Amherst Authors" section, "A host true to his word") about Merrill's books From the First Nine: Poems 1946- 1976 and Changing Light at Sandover

1983 April 25-29

dinner and poetry reading on April 29

poetry reading on April 25

Merrill is the sixth Robert Frost Library Fellow

Friends of the Amherst College Library keepsake publication: the poem Think Tank

1983

Article in Newsletter of the Friends of the Amherst College Library about Merrill's Robert Frost Library Fellowship

1988 June 4

Poetry reading during Reunion Week (Classes of 1947 and 1948 combined 40th Reunion)

1988 fall

Article in Amherst ("The Senior Song") about Merrill's poetry reading at Reunion

1990 winter

Article in Amherst ("National poetry prize is awarded to Merrill") about the Rebekah Johnson Bobbitt National Prize for Poetry, from the Library of Congress, for The Inner Room

1993 October 22

Book signing of Merrill's memoir, A Different Person, at the Jeffery Amherst Bookshop during Homecoming Weekend

1994 winter

Article in Amherst ("Amherst Authors" section, "Learning how to live") about Merrill's book A Different Person: A Memoir

1995 February 6

Merrill's death

1995 spring

Article in Amherst ("A Parnassian is gone") about Merrill's death; obituary in the "Notes" section

1997 May-June

Obituary reprinted in the Classes of 1947 and 1948's 50th Reunion Book

2001 April 12

"A celebration of poet James Merrill: with readings of his work and remembrances by local poets," in Johnson Chapel, with related exhibition in the Archives and Special Collections, Robert Frost Library

2001 summer

Article in Amherst ("Amherst Authors" section, "Literary event of the year") about the posthumously published Collected Poems

1943 July 1-October 13 (summer; Term 1)

Math 1 (Trigonometry and Analytic Geometry) with Nels David Nelson/William Jesse Newlin

Greek 4 (Homer) with Francis Howard Fobes

German 1 (Elementary Course) with Manford Vaughn Kern

History 1 (Introduction to the History of Contemporary Civilization) with Allen Austin Gilmore

English 41 (The Renaissance) with George Roy Elliott

1943 October 21-1944 February 9 (1943-1944 fall; Term 2)

Greek 5 (Plato: The Lyric Poets) with Francis Howard Fobes

German 2 (Elementary Course) with Manford Vaughn Kern

History 2 (Europe From 1848 to the Present, With Emphasis on World War I and the Subsequent Period) with Lawrence Bradford Packard

English 42 (The Renaissance) with George Roy Elliott

Math 2 (Analytic Geometry and an Introduction to Calculus) with William Jesse Newlin

1944 February 17-May 31 (1943-1944 spring; Term 3)

English 19 (English Composition) with Reuben Arthur Brower, Theodore Baird, and G. Armour Craig

Philosophy 16 (Philosophical Literature) with Roger Wellington Holmes

French 37 (French Poetry Through the Parnassians) with Ralph Coplestone Williams

Greek 6 ( The Lyric Poets: Euripides) with Francis Howard Fobes

German 7 (Goethe) with Otto Manthey-Zorn

1945 February 15-May 29 (1944-1945 spring; Term 4)

Biology 1 (General Biology) with Otto Charles Glaser/Hermann Joseph Muller

Philosophy 32 (Contemporary American Philosophy) with Gail Kennedy

French 37 (Advanced Readings in French Literature) with George Banks Funnell

English 29 (Shakespeare) with Theodore Baird

German 34 (Studies in German Culture) with Otto Manthey-Zorn

1945 June 28-September 19 (summer; Term 5)

English S43-44 (Double Course, American Literature) with George Frisbie Whicher

History S3-4 (Double Course, Classical Civilization) with Charles Lawton Sherman

1945 September 27-1946 February 2 (1945-1946 fall; Term 6)

Italian 15 (Elementary Course) with Reginald Foster French

Astronomy 1 (Introduction to General Astronomy) with Warren Kimball Green

English 25 (Science and Literature in the Nineteenth Century) with Theodore Baird

English 55 (Conference Course)

1946 February 4-June 11 (1945-1946 spring; Term 7)

Italian 16 (Elementary Course) with Reginald Foster French

Philosophy 18 (Ethics) with Gail Kennedy

English 35 (Chaucer) with George Frisbie Whicher

English 56 (Conference Course)

1946 September 25-1947 February 1 (1946-1947 fall; Term 8)

Italian 33 (Dante) with Reginald Foster French

Philosophy 37 (Philosophy of Religion) with James A. Martin, Jr.

English 23 (English Composition) with William Walker Gibson

English 60 (Conference Course)

Senior Thesis: "A la Recherche du Temps Perdu: Impressionism in Literature"

Merrill completed his course work during the fall semester of 1946, which ended on February 1, 1947. He was an English major. The second semester (spring) began on February 3, 1947. He was awarded a B.A. degree, summa cum laude, at the 127th Commencement on June 15, 1947. (The degree was voted by the Trustees on May 3, 1947.)