George Stuart Gordon (1881–12 March 1942) was a British literary scholar. Gordon was educated at the

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

and

Oriel College, Oxford Oriel College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. Located in Oriel Square, the college has the distinction of being the oldest royal foundation in Oxford (a title formerly claimed by University College, wh ...

, where he received a First Class in

Classical Moderations Honour Moderations (or ''Mods'') are a set of examinations at the University of Oxford at the end of the first part of some degree courses (e.g., Greats or '' Literae Humaniores''). Honour Moderations candidates have a class awarded (hence the ' ...

in 1904, '' Literae Humaniores'' in 1906, and the Stanhope Prize in 1905. He was a Fellow of

Magdalen College, Oxford Magdalen College (, ) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. It was founded in 1458 by William of Waynflete. Today, it is the fourth wealthiest college, with a financial endowment of £332.1 million as of 2019 and one of the s ...

, from 1907 to 1915. Gordon was Professor of

English Literature English literature is literature written in the English language from United Kingdom, its crown dependencies, the Republic of Ireland, the United States, and the countries of the former British Empire. ''The Encyclopaedia Britannica'' defines E ...

at the

University of Leeds , mottoeng = And knowledge will be increased , established = 1831 – Leeds School of Medicine1874 – Yorkshire College of Science1884 - Yorkshire College1887 – affiliated to the federal Victoria University1904 – University of Leeds , ...

from 1913 to 1922. Later, he was Merton Professor of English Literature at

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

, from 1922 to 1928; President of

Professor of Poetry The Professor of Poetry is an academic appointment at the University of Oxford. The chair was created in 1708 by an endowment from the estate of Henry Birkhead. The professorship carries an obligation to lecture, but is in effect a part-time po ...

there, and

Vice-Chancellor A chancellor is a leader of a college or university, usually either the executive or ceremonial head of the university or of a university campus within a university system. In most Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth and former Commonwealth n ...

(1938–1941). He was one of the ''Kolbítar'',

J. R. R. Tolkien John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, ; 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philology, philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was ...

's group of readers of

Icelandic saga The sagas of Icelanders ( is, Íslendingasögur, ), also known as family sagas, are one genre of Icelandic sagas. They are prose narratives mostly based on historical events that mostly took place in Iceland in the ninth, tenth, and early el ...

s. His students at Oxford included the author

Sherard Vines Walter Sherard Vines (1890–1974), known as Sherard Vines, was an English author and academic. He began publishing poetry in the 1910s, then in the 1920s spent five years teaching at Keio University in Tokyo, Japan. While in Japan and after his ...

. Gordon famously argued that English Literature was capable of having a widespread and positive influence. In his inaugural lecture for his Merton professorship, he argued that "England is sick, and … English literature must save it. The Churches (as I understand) having failed, and social remedies being slow, English literature has now a triple function: still, I suppose, to delight and instruct us, but also, and above all, to save our souls and heal the State". His son, George Gordon, was a noted

physiologist Physiology (; ) is the scientific study of functions and mechanisms in a living system. As a sub-discipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ systems, individual organs, cells, and biomolecules carry out the chemical a ...

Works

* Henry Peacham's ''The Compleat Gentleman'' (1906) editor *''English Literature and the Classics'' (1912) editor, contribution on

Theophrastus Theophrastus (; grc-gre, Θεόφραστος ; c. 371c. 287 BC), a Greek philosopher and the successor to Aristotle in the Peripatetic school. He was a native of Eresos in Lesbos.Gavin Hardy and Laurence Totelin, ''Ancient Botany'', Routledge ...

*''Mons and the Retreat'' (1917)Under MI7; se
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/ref> *''Medium Aevum and the Middle Age'' (1925) Society for Pure English Tract 19 *''Richard II'' (Shakespeare) (1925) editor *''On writing and writers'',

Walter Alexander Raleigh Sir Walter Alexander Raleigh (; 5 September 1861 – 13 May 1922) was an English scholar, poet, and author. Raleigh was also a Cambridge Apostle. Biography Walter Alexander Raleigh was born in London, the fifth child and only son of a loca ...

(1926) editor *''Companionable Books'' (1927) *''Shakespeare's English'' (1928) Society for Pure English Tract 29 *''Anglo-American Literary Relations'' (1942) *''The Letters of G. S. Gordon, 1902-1942'' (1943) *''Shakespearian Comedy and other studies'' (1945) *''The Discipline of Letters'' (1946) *''

Robert Bridges Robert Seymour Bridges (23 October 1844 – 21 April 1930) was an English poet who was Poet Laureate from 1913 to 1930. A doctor by training, he achieved literary fame only late in life. His poems reflect a deep Christian faith, and he is ...

'' (1946)

Rede Lecture The Sir Robert Rede's Lecturer is an annual appointment to give a public lecture, the Sir Robert Rede's Lecture (usually Rede Lecture) at the University of Cambridge. It is named for Sir Robert Rede, who was Chief Justice of the Common Pleas in th ...

*''More Companionable Books'' (1947) *''The Lives of Authors'' (1950)

References

*Mary C. Biggar Gordon (1945) ''The Life of George S. Gordon 1881–1942'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Gordon, George Stuart 1881 births 1942 deaths Literature educators Literary critics of English Alumni of the University of Glasgow Alumni of Oriel College, Oxford Fellows of Magdalen College, Oxford Presidents of Magdalen College, Oxford Academics of the University of Leeds Vice-Chancellors of the University of Oxford Oxford Professors of Poetry Merton Professors of English Literature Fellows of Merton College, Oxford