Henry Meade Bland (April 21, 1863 – April 29, 1931) was an American

educator A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. whe ...

and poet who became California Poet Laureate in 1929 after succeeding California's first Poet Laureate, Ina Coolbrith.

Early life and education

Bland was born on April 21, 1863, in Fairfield, California. He had an undergraduate and M.A. degree from

University of the Pacific University of the Pacific may refer to: *University of the Pacific (Colombia) *University of the Pacific (Ecuador) *University of the Pacific (Peru) * University of the Pacific (United States) *University of Asia Pacific, Bangladesh * University of ...

, and 1895, and a Ph.D from

Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...

in 1890. He worked as a teacher and school administrator for 15 years at schools in Los Gatos, Santa Clara, and San Jose, before joining the

San Jose Normal School San José State University (San Jose State or SJSU) is a public university in San Jose, California. Established in 1857, SJSU is the oldest public university on the West Coast and the founding campus of the California State University (CSU) sys ...

in 1899 to teach English. He remained at California State Normal School until his death.

Career

During the early years of the twentieth century, Bland penned reviews of the works of California writers for ''Town and Country''. He was the friend of Joaquin Miller, Jack London, John Muir, Edwin Markham, and other California literary figures. His verse was published in ''Sierran Pan & Other Poems'' (1924) and six other volumes. His prose writings include ''Stevenson's California'' (1924) and ''Prose & Poetry for Children'' (1914). On March 22, 1929, a joint resolution was passed in the

California State Legislature The California State Legislature is a bicameral state legislature consisting of a lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members; and an upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members. Both houses of the Legisla ...

to name Bland the California Poet Laureate. The title given was The Laurel Crowned Poet of California (Statutes of 1929, Resolution Chapter 23). California began the practice of naming a poet laureate in 1915.

Death

Bland died on April 29, 1931, two years into his life-term appointment as California's Poet Laureate.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bland, Henry Meade 1863 births 1931 deaths People from Fairfield, California Poets Laureate of California American male poets Poets from California 19th-century American poets 20th-century American poets San Jose State University faculty 19th century in California Stanford University alumni University of the Pacific (United States) alumni 19th-century American male writers 20th-century American male writers