Joel Elias Spingarn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joel Elias Spingarn
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| Born | May 17, 1875 New York, NY, United States
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| Died | July 26, 1939 (aged 64) New York, NY, United States
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| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Columbia College |
| Occupation | educator, literary critic, civil rights activist |
| Organization | NAACP |
| Political party | Republican |
| Movement | Civil Rights Movement |
| Spouse(s) | Amy Einstein Spingarn |
| Children | 2 sons (including Stephen, 2 daughters |
| Relatives | Arthur B. Spingarn (brother) |
Joel Elias Spingarn (May 17, 1875 – July 26, 1939) was an American educator, literary critic (someone who studies and judges books), and civil rights activist. He also served as a military officer and was very interested in gardening.
Contents
Life and Work
Early Life and Education
Joel Spingarn was born in New York City in 1875. He came from a well-off Jewish family. His younger brother was Arthur B. Spingarn. Joel went to Columbia College and graduated in 1895. He became very interested in studying literature from different countries and cultures.
Politics and Public Service
Politics was a big part of Joel Spingarn's life. In 1908, he ran for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives as a Republican, but he did not win.
Later, he became a delegate for the Progressive Party in 1912 and 1916. At the first meeting, he tried to get the party to officially speak out against racial discrimination.
Teaching and Writing
From 1899 to 1911, Spingarn was a professor of comparative literature at Columbia University. He wrote important books about literary criticism, including A History of Literary Criticism in the Renaissance. He believed that each piece of art should be judged on its own, not just by old rules or categories.
He had some disagreements with the university president, Nicholas Murray Butler. In 1910, Spingarn supported another professor who was dismissed. This led to Spingarn's own dismissal a few weeks later.
After Columbia and World War I
Even without a university job, Spingarn kept writing and editing books. During World War I, he joined the U.S. Army and became a major. In 1919, he helped start a publishing company called Harcourt, Brace and Company.
Fighting for Civil Rights
Joel Spingarn was a strong supporter of racial justice. He joined the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) soon after it began. The NAACP is an organization that works for the rights of African Americans.
Spingarn was one of the first Jewish leaders in the NAACP. He served as chairman of its board from 1913 to 1919. He was also the treasurer from 1919 to 1930. From 1930 until his death in 1939, he was the second president of the NAACP.
The Spingarn Medal
In 1914, Joel Spingarn created the Spingarn Medal. This special award is given every year by the NAACP. It honors an African American for outstanding achievements.
During World War I, Spingarn helped make sure that a training camp for African American officers was set up in Des Moines. About 1,000 African American officers were trained there.
W. E. B. Du Bois, a famous civil rights leader, dedicated his autobiography Dusk of Dawn to Joel Spingarn. He called Spingarn a "scholar and knight."
Personal Life and Hobbies
Joel Spingarn loved gardening. After 1920, he collected the world's largest number of clematis plants, with 250 different types. He also studied the history of landscape gardening in Dutchess County, New York. He was a member of the Board of Managers for the New York Botanical Garden.
He lived with his wife, Amy Einstein Spingarn, in Manhattan. They also had a country home in Amenia, New York. They had two sons and two daughters. One of their sons was Stephen J. Spingarn.
Joel Spingarn passed away on July 26, 1939, after a long illness. In his will, he left money to make sure the Spingarn Medal could be given out forever.
Recognition
- Spingarn Senior High School in Washington, D.C. is named after him.
- In 2009, Joel Spingarn was one of 12 civil rights leaders honored on American postage stamps. These stamps marked 100 years of the NAACP.
- The Moorland-Spingarn Research Center at Howard University is named for his brother, Arthur.
Images for kids
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Joel Spingarn, a key figure in civil rights and literature.
