Mark Van Doren facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mark Van Doren
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| Born | June 13, 1894 Hope, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | December 10, 1972 (aged 78) Torrington, Connecticut, U.S. |
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| Education | University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (BA) Columbia University (MA, PhD) |
| Notable works | Shakespeare (1939) A Liberal Education (1943) |
| Notable awards | Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, 1940 for Collected Poems 1922–1938 Academy of American Poets' Fellowship (1967) |
| Spouse | Dorothy Van Doren |
| Children | 2, including Charles Van Doren |
| Relatives | Carl Van Doren (brother) Adam Van Doren (grandson) |
Mark Van Doren (born June 13, 1894 – died December 10, 1972) was an American poet, writer, and critic. He was also a professor of English at Columbia University for almost 40 years. During his time there, he inspired many famous writers and thinkers. These included Thomas Merton, Allen Ginsberg, and Jack Kerouac.
He also worked as a literary editor for The Nation magazine in New York City from 1924 to 1928. Later, he became their film critic from 1935 to 1938.
Some of his well-known works include Shakespeare (1939) and A Liberal Education (1943). He won the 1940 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for his book Collected Poems 1922–1938.
Contents
Early Life and School
Mark Van Doren was born in Hope, Illinois. He was the fourth of five sons. His father, Charles Lucius Van Doren, was a doctor. His family had roots in the Netherlands.
He grew up on his family's farm in eastern Illinois. Later, his father moved the family to Urbana. This was so the boys could go to better schools.
All five brothers, including his older brother Carl Van Doren, went to the local elementary and high schools. Mark Van Doren then studied at the University of Illinois. He earned his first degree (a B.A.) in 1914. In 1920, he earned his Ph.D. from Columbia University.
His Career and Teaching
Mark Van Doren started teaching at Columbia University in 1920. His brother Carl was already teaching there. Mark became known as one of Columbia's best teachers. He was a full professor by 1942. He taught English until 1959, then became a professor emeritus until he passed away.
The 1920s were a busy time for Mark. At Columbia, he taught many bright students. These included Whittaker Chambers and Lionel Trilling. Van Doren also wrote scholarly books about writers like John Dryden. He was the literary editor for The Nation magazine. There, he met his future wife, Dorothy Van Doren.
He also edited a popular book of world poetry. The money from this book helped the Van Dorens buy a house in New York City in 1929.
Mark Van Doren was known for treating all students with respect. He wrote an essay in 1927 about the talented Jewish students he taught. He saw great potential in them. For example, he noted that Meyer Schapiro had a "passion to know." He also saw that Lionel Trilling had "dignity and grace."
His students included poets John Berryman and Robert Lax. Other students were novelist Anthony Robinson and the famous Trappist monk Thomas Merton. Poets Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac also learned from him. Kerouac even decided to quit the Columbia football team to focus on writing after taking Van Doren's Shakespeare class.
Van Doren believed that anyone could understand great literature. He felt you just needed to pay attention and use your intelligence. He brought out the best in his students by treating them as equals.
He worked for The Nation magazine twice. First from 1924 to 1928, and again from 1935 to 1938.
In 1940, he won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. His older brother Carl had won a Pulitzer Prize the year before. Mark Van Doren also helped Allen Ginsberg avoid jail time in 1949 by speaking up for him. He was also a big influence on Thomas Merton's writing and spiritual journey.
Mark Van Doren strongly supported a "liberal education." This idea focuses on studying a wide range of important subjects. He wrote a book called Liberal Education (1943). This book helped promote the "great books" movement. This movement encourages reading classic works of literature and philosophy. Starting in 1941, he also discussed great books on a CBS Radio show called Invitation to Learning.
He was made a Fellow in American Letters of the Library of Congress. He also served as president of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Ideas for a Better World
Mark Van Doren was one of the people who signed an agreement to create a meeting. This meeting was to discuss writing a world constitution. This led to the first time in history that a World Constituent Assembly met. They worked to create a plan for a "Constitution for the Federation of Earth." This showed his interest in ideas for global cooperation and peace.
His Family Life
In 1922, Mark Van Doren married Dorothy Graffe. She was a novelist and writer. They met while working at The Nation magazine. His successful poetry book helped them buy a house in New York City in 1929.
Their son, Charles Van Doren, became famous for winning a game show called Twenty-One. In the movie Quiz Show (1994), Mark Van Doren was played by actor Paul Scofield.
Their second son was John Van Doren. He lived at the family farm in Cornwall, Connecticut. Mark Van Doren did most of his writing there during his academic breaks. He moved there permanently after he retired.
Mark Van Doren passed away on December 10, 1972, in Torrington, Connecticut. He was 78 years old. He was buried in Cornwall Hollow Cemetery in Connecticut.
His Lasting Impact
Since 1962, students at Columbia College have given an award to a great teacher each year. It is called the "Mark Van Doren Award." This award honors his legacy as an inspiring educator.
The famous writer John Updike once said that Van Doren's book on Shakespeare helped him a lot in his college course. He also said he would reread Van Doren's thoughts whenever he reread a Shakespeare play.
Quotes
- "The literature of the world has exerted its power by being translated."
