James David Hart, (April 18, 1911 – 23 July 1990) was an American literary
scholar
A scholar is a person who pursues academic and intellectual activities, particularly academics who apply their intellectualism into expertise in an area of study. A scholar can also be an academic, who works as a professor, teacher, or researc ...
and professor at University of California, Berkeley for fifty-four years. He is most notable for writing ''The Oxford Companion to American Literature'' and ''A Companion to California''.
Biography
Hart was born in San Francisco, California. He received a
bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
from Stanford University, followed by a Ph.D. from Harvard University.
While studying for his doctorate at Harvard University, Hart conceived and began work on an American literature companion book. It is reported that in 1934, after looking for such a book among
second-hand
Used goods mean any item of personal property offered for sale not as new, including metals in any form except coins that are legal tender, but excluding books, magazines, and postage stamps.
Risks
Furniture, in particular bedding or upholstere ...
bookstore
Bookselling is the commercial trading of books which is the retail and distribution end of the publishing process. People who engage in bookselling are called booksellers, bookdealers, bookpeople, bookmen, or bookwomen. The founding of librar ...
s on what was
Fourth Avenue below
14th Street in
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
, New York to no avail, Hart entered the offices of
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...
on
Fifth Avenue upon passing. Inside, on a whim, he told the
receptionist
A receptionist is an employee taking an office or administrative support position. The work is usually performed in a waiting area such as a lobby or front office desk of an organization or business. The title ''receptionist'' is attributed t ...
that he had an idea for a book, which prompted
editor Margaret Nicholson to come out to meet him. He questioned her about the existence of such a book, to which she replied, "We've been looking for someone to do that." She took him in to see director of the press
Geoffrey Cumberlege. Cumberlege wanted to see examples of his work, and Hart had none. Furthermore, Cumberledge was sailing to Europe on the
RMS Queen Mary the next day, so Hart returned to his hotel room and produced essays on
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25, 1803April 27, 1882), who went by his middle name Waldo, was an American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, abolitionist, and poet who led the transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century. He was seen as a champ ...
and
Richard Henry Dana amongst others, and delivered them to Cumberledge the next morning. A few months later he was granted a contract, and wrote the book alone. Critic
Alfred Kazin
Alfred Kazin (June 5, 1915 – June 5, 1998) was an American writer and literary critic. He wrote often about the immigrant experience in early twentieth century America.
Early life
Like many other New York Intellectuals, Alfred Kazin was ...
said it is "the most valuable handbook I know on our literature," and had been on his desk for nearly half a century.
At the University of California, Berkeley, Hart served as chairman of the English department. He was also the university's vice chancellor from 1957 until 1960. In 1969 he was appointed director of the University of California, Berkeley's
Bancroft Library. He was a
fellow
A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context.
In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements.
Within the context of higher education ...
of the
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, a ...
and of the
American Antiquarian Society
The American Antiquarian Society (AAS), located in Worcester, Massachusetts, is both a learned society and a national research library of pre-twentieth-century American history and culture. Founded in 1812, it is the oldest historical society i ...
. He was a
trustee
Trustee (or the holding of a trusteeship) is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, is a synonym for anyone in a position of trust and so can refer to any individual who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility to ...
of Mills College from 1970 until 1986, and was president of the board for three years. In 1963 he was appointed a CBE.
Hart died in his home in Berkeley, California on July 23, 1990, at the age of seventy-nine. His family reported that he had died of a
brain tumor
A brain tumor occurs when abnormal cells form within the brain. There are two main types of tumors: malignant tumors and benign (non-cancerous) tumors. These can be further classified as primary tumors, which start within the brain, and seconda ...
.
Hart has had articles published in ''
American Heritage American Heritage may refer to:
* ''American Heritage'' (magazine)
* ''The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language''
* American Heritage Rivers
* American Heritage School (disambiguation)
See also
*National Register of Historic Place ...
'', ''
American Literature'' and ''
American Quarterly'', as well as other general and scholarly journals. He also has published works on
Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as ''Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll a ...
,
Frank Norris
Benjamin Franklin Norris Jr. (March 5, 1870 – October 25, 1902) was an American journalist and novelist during the Progressive Era, whose fiction was predominantly in the naturalist genre. His notable works include '' McTeague: A Story of San ...
,
Western history
The Western world, also known as the West, primarily refers to the various nations and states in the regions of Europe, North America, and Oceania. , popular writing and
fine printing.
The 1981 reissue of
Moby Dick
''Moby-Dick; or, The Whale'' is an 1851 novel by American writer Herman Melville. The book is the sailor Ishmael's narrative of the obsessive quest of Ahab, captain of the whaling ship ''Pequod'', for revenge against Moby Dick, the giant whi ...
by
Herman Melville
Herman Melville ( born Melvill; August 1, 1819 – September 28, 1891) was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet of the American Renaissance period. Among his best-known works are ''Moby-Dick'' (1851); ''Typee'' (1846), a rom ...
published by the
University of California Press
The University of California Press, otherwise known as UC Press, is a publishing house associated with the University of California that engages in academic publishing. It was founded in 1893 to publish scholarly and scientific works by facult ...
features an essay by Hart entitled ''A Note on the California Edition'', where at the time he is credited as Director of The Bancroft Library.
Family
He was married to Ruth Arnstein, a California native, born December 2, 1917. She died in Berkeley on December 4, 1977, Later, he married Constance Crowley Bowles. His daughter, the writer Carol Field, died of a stroke on March 10, 2017 at her home in San Francisco; his son, the pollster Peter Hart, lives in Washington D.C.. As of July 24, 1990, he has four grandchildren.
Bibliography
* ''
The Oxford Companion to American Literature''
* ''The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature''. 1986
* ''A Companion to California'', Oxford University Press, 1978. revised edition, UC Press, 1991
* ''The Popular Book: A History of America's Literary Taste'' (1950)
[Geismar, Maxwell (October 1, 1950)]
Books Americans Have Liked
''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' (book review)
* ''From Scotland to Silverado'' by Robert Louis Stevenson (editor)
* ''Influences on California Printing'' (and
Ritchie Ward)
* ''Fine Printing: The San Francisco Tradition''
* ''Lawton Kennedy, Printer'' by Ruth Teiser (foreword)
* ''America's Literature'' (and
Clarence Louis Frank Gohdes)
Further reading
* Bliss, Anthony. ''The Legacy of James D. Hart at the Bancroft Library 1970-1990''. Friends of the Bancroft Library, 1991.
References
External links
Guide to the James D. Hart Papersat
The Bancroft Library
The Bancroft Library in the center of the campus of the University of California, Berkeley, is the university's primary special-collections library. It was acquired from its founder, Hubert Howe Bancroft, in 1905, with the proviso that it retai ...
James David Hartat
Library Thing
LibraryThing is a social cataloging web application for storing and sharing book catalogs and various types of book metadata. It is used by authors, individuals, libraries, and publishers.
Based in Portland, Maine, LibraryThing was developed by ...
James D. Hartat
Borders (UK)
Borders (UK) Ltd., also known as Borders & Books etc., was established as a Borders Group subsidiary in 1998, and in 2007 became independent of the US parent company. At its peak after separation from the US parent, it traded from its 41 Borders ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hart, James D.
1911 births
1990 deaths
Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
Stanford University alumni
Harvard University alumni
University of California, Berkeley College of Letters and Science faculty