Thomas Daniel Young Collection

Collection

Identifier: MSS.0538

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The largest part of the collection consists of Xerox copies and page proofs of Dr. Young’s books: The Literary Correspondence of Donald Davidson and Allen Tate (1974); The New Criticism and After (1977); and Gentleman in a Dustcoat (1976). This section also contains the longhand copy of Dr. Young’s Gentleman in a Dustcoat: A Biography of John Crowe Ransom.

Another part of the collection contains Research Materials, consisting of Xerox copies of the voluminous correspondence between John Crowe Ransom and family members as well as professional colleagues. These letters range in date from before World War I up to the 1970s.

There’s only one file of correspondence between Dr. Young and others, but within that file is an original letter from Flannery O’Connor. She had written to John Crowe Ransom about her work in her story A Circle of Fire, and he had enclosed that letter in his correspondence with Professor Young. (See Box 1, File 1)

Dates

1970s

Creator

Young, Thomas Daniel (Person)

Biography

Thomas Daniel Young was born October 22,1919 in Louisville, Mississippi. He received his B.A. from the University of Southern Mississippi, His M.A. from the University of Mississippi, and his Ph.D. from Vanderbilt in 1950. At Vanderbilt he studied with Donald Davidson and Richmond Beatty.

During World War II, Young served in the Army Air Corps (1942-1945), stationed in England for part of that time.

He taught Southern Literature and American Literature at the University of Southern Mississippi from 1950-1957 and Delta State University from 1957-1961, where he also served as Dean.

In 1961 Young came to Vanderbilt as Director of Undergraduate Admissions and also Associate Professor of English. Later he was an assistant to the Vice-Chancellor. From 1963-1973, he served as Chairman of the English Department, and in 1972 he was named the first recipient of the Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professorship of English. Dr. Young retired from Vanderbilt in 1985.

Dr. Young was the author of 25 books and almost two hundred articles. Among his works are: The Literary Correspondence of Donald Davidson and Allen Tate; The New Criticism and After; John Crowe Ransom: An Annotated Bibliography; The Lytle-Tate Letters; and Fabulous Provinces: A Memoir. His authorized biography of John Crowe Ransom, Gentleman in a Dustcoat won the Jules F. Landry Award. In 1952-1953 Dr. Young served as President of the Southern Literature Festival Association. He was a member of the American Association of University Professors, the Modern Language Association, Phi Delta Kappa, and Omicron Delta Kappa.

Professor Young married Arlease Lewis in 1941, and the couple had two sons, Thomas Daniel and Terry Lewis. Dr. Young died in Bay Springs, Mississippi January 29, 1997.