Leslie J. Workman (5 March 1927 in

Hanwell Hanwell () is a town in the London Borough of Ealing, in the historic County of Middlesex, England. It is about 1.5 miles west of Ealing Broadway and had a population of 28,768 as of 2011. It is the westernmost location of the London post t ...

, London, England – 1 April 2001 in

Grand Rapids Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the second most-populated city in the state after Detroit. Grand Rapids is the ...

, Michigan, USA) was an

independent 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 researcher ...

and founder of academic

medievalism Medievalism is a system of belief and practice inspired by the Middle Ages of Europe, or by devotion to elements of that period, which have been expressed in areas such as architecture, literature, music, art, philosophy, scholarship, and variou ...

Biography

Workman received his education at the Russell School,

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, studied at Kings College,

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...

(B.A. in History), and then served in the British Army in Egypt, Palestine, and Sudan from 1945 to 1948. In 1954 he emigrated to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and studied History at

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

and

Ohio State University The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best publ ...

. Later he taught at Queens College of

The City University of New York The City University of New York ( CUNY; , ) is the Public university, public university system of Education in New York City, New York City. It is the largest urban university system in the United States, comprising 25 campuses: eleven Upper divis ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

Muhlenberg College Muhlenberg College is a private liberal arts college in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1848, Muhlenberg College is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and is named for Henry Muhlenberg, the German patriarch of Luthera ...

Allentown, Pennsylvania Allentown (Pennsylvania Dutch language, Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Allenschteddel'', ''Allenschtadt'', or ''Ellsdaun'') is a city in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. The city has a population of 125,845 as of the 2020 United ...

, and

Western College for Women Western College for Women, known at other times as Western Female Seminary, The Western and simply Western College, was a women's and later coed liberal arts college in Oxford, Ohio, between 1855 and 1974. Initially a seminary, it was the host of ...

Oxford, Ohio Oxford is a city in Butler County, Ohio, United States. The population was 23,035 at the 2020 census. A college town, Oxford was founded as a home for Miami University and lies in the southwestern portion of the state approximately northwest ...

. In 1983 he married Kathleen Verduin, a Professor of American Literature at

Hope College Hope College is a private Christian liberal arts college in Holland, Michigan. It was originally opened in 1851 as the Pioneer School by Dutch immigrants four years after the community was first settled. The first freshman college class matricul ...

Holland, Michigan Holland is a city in the western region of the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated near the eastern shore of Lake Michigan on Lake Macatawa, which is fed by the Macatawa River (formerly known locally as the Black River). ...

Achievements

Workman's original contribution to the academy is the establishing of a network of scholars who studied the reception of medieval culture in post medieval times. Although without academic appointment since the early 1980s, he managed to convince numerous colleagues of the value of the paradigm of

studies. He began to organize the first conference sections on the topic in 1971 at the International Congress on Medieval Studies at

Western Michigan University Western Michigan University (Western Michigan, Western or WMU) is a public research university in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It was initially established as Western State Normal School in 1903 by Governor Aaron T. Bliss for the training of teachers ...

(

Kalamazoo, Michigan Kalamazoo ( ) is a city in the southwest region of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Kalamazoo County. At the 2010 census, Kalamazoo had a population of 74,262. Kalamazoo is the major city of the Kalamazoo-Portage Metropolit ...

), founded the leading academic journal, ''Studies in Medievalism'', in 1979, and started the annual International Conference on Medievalism in 1986. In 1998, colleagues and students recognized his extraordinary achievements with a ''Festschrift'',
Medievalism in the Modern World: Essays in Honour of Leslie J. Workman
', edited by

Tom Shippey Thomas Alan Shippey (born 9 September 1943) is a British medievalist, a retired scholar of Middle and Old English literature as well as of modern fantasy and science fiction. He is considered one of the world's leading academic experts on the ...

and

Richard Utz Richard Utz (born 1961) is a German-born medievalist who has spent much of his career in North America. He specializes in medievalism, medieval studies, and served as President of the International Society for the Study of Medievalism (2009–2020) ...

Studies in Medievalism

Workman founded ''

Studies in Medievalism The International Society for the Study of Medievalism is an academic organization that exists to promote the interdisciplinary study of the popular and scholarly reception of the Middle Ages in postmedieval times. The Society is based on the work ...

'' (''SiM'') in 1979 as the only academic journal dedicated entirely to the study of post-medieval images and perceptions of the Middle Ages. Initially privately published (1979–1990), it was adopted by

Boydell & Brewer Boydell & Brewer is an academic press based in Woodbridge, Suffolk, England, that specializes in publishing historical and critical works. In addition to British and general history, the company publishes three series devoted to studies, edition ...

Publishers in Cambridge, UK. After Workman's death, the publication was edited by

of St. Louis University. It is currently edited by Karl Fugelso at

Towson University Towson University (TU or Towson) is a public university in Towson, Maryland. Founded in 1866 as Maryland's first training school for teachers, Towson University is a part of the University System of Maryland. Since its founding, the university h ...

. As was Workman's original intention, the journal welcomes articles on both scholarly and popular works, with particular interest in the interaction between scholarship and re-creation.

The Year's Work in Medievalism

Workman originally conceived of ''The Year's Work in Medievalism'' (''YWIM'') as a publishing venue not only for the Proceedings of the annual International Conference on Medievalism, but also for comprehensive field bibliographies, book reviews, and announcements of conferences and other events. However, it became mostly an outlet for shorter essays based on conference presentations. Since 2020, the journal has been made available online. And some volumes are available elsewhere.Volumes 14, 15, and 16 are available in .pdf at: http://www.uni-due.de/perspicuitas/editorial.shtml#year Gwendolyn Morgan,

Montana State University Montana State University (MSU) is a Public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Bozeman, Montana. It is the state's largest university. MSU offers baccalaureate degrees in 60 fields, master's degrees in 6 ...

, served as general editor for the proceedings series for many years. Since 2011, E. L. Risden (St. Norbert College), M.J. Toswell, Karl Fugelso, and Richard Utz (Georgia Tech) have served as editors. The current editors are Valerie B. Johnson and Renée Ward.

International Conference

Workman founded the annual International Conference on Medievalism (ICOM; known as the General Conference on Medievalism until 1993) with two meetings at the

University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin founded the school in 1842. The main campu ...

(Notre Dame, IN) in 1986 and 1987. Subsequent conferences were organized through the

Newberry Library The Newberry Library is an independent research library, specializing in the humanities and located on Washington Square in Chicago, Illinois. It has been free and open to the public since 1887. Its collections encompass a variety of topics rela ...

and

Northeastern Illinois University Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) is a public university in Chicago, Illinois. NEIU serves approximately 9,000 students in the region and is a Hispanic-serving institution. The main campus is located in the community area of North Park wi ...

(Chicago, IL: 1988), the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

(1989), Castle

Kaprun Kaprun () is a municipality in the Zell am See District in the state of Salzburg, Austria. The town is a tourist destination known as "Zell am See-Kaprun" with the neighbouring Zell am See and known for the glacier Kitzsteinhorn. Geography It is ...

(jointly with the 5th Symposium on Mittelalter-Rezeption, Austria: 1990), the

University of Delaware The University of Delaware (colloquially UD or Delaware) is a public land-grant research university located in Newark, Delaware. UD is the largest university in Delaware. It offers three associate's programs, 148 bachelor's programs, 121 mas ...

(1991), the

University of South Florida The University of South Florida (USF) is a public research university with its main campus located in Tampa, Florida, and other campuses in St. Petersburg and Sarasota. It is one of 12 members of the State University System of Florida. USF is ...

(1992), 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 , ...

(UK: 1993),

(Bozeman, MT: 1994), the

Higgins Armory Museum The Higgins Armory Museum is the name of a collection in the Worcester Art Museum. It was formerly a separate museum located in the nearby Higgins Armory Building in Worcester, Massachusetts, dedicated to the display of arms and armor. It was "th ...

(Worcester, MA: 1995),

Kalamazoo College Kalamazoo College, also known as Kalamazoo, K College, KC or simply K, is a private liberal arts college in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Founded in 1833 by Baptist ministers as the Michigan and Huron Institute, Kalamazoo is the oldest private college in ...

(Kalamazoo, MI: 1996), Christ Church College (Canterbury, UK: 1997),

University of Rochester The University of Rochester (U of R, UR, or U of Rochester) is a private research university in Rochester, New York. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The University of Roc ...

(Rochester, NY: 1998),

(1999),

(Holland, MI: 2000),

Buffalo State College The State University of New York College at Buffalo (colloquially referred to as Buffalo State College, SUNY Buffalo State, Buffalo State, or simply Buff State) is a public college in Buffalo, New York. It is part of the State University of Ne ...

(Buffalo, NY: 2001), the

University of Northern Iowa The University of Northern Iowa (UNI) is a public university in Cedar Falls, Iowa. UNI offers more than 90 majors across the colleges of Business Administration, Education, Humanities, Arts, and Sciences, Social and Behavioral Sciences and grad ...

(Cedar Falls, IA: 2002), St. Louis University (St. Louis, MO: 2003),

University of New Brunswick The University of New Brunswick (UNB) is a public university with two primary campuses in Fredericton and Saint John, New Brunswick. It is the oldest English-language university in Canada, and among the oldest public universities in North Americ ...

(Canada: 2004),

(Baltimore, MD: 2005),

(Columbus, OH: 2006),

University of Western Ontario The University of Western Ontario (UWO), also known as Western University or Western, is a Public university, public research university in London, Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land, surrounded by resident ...

(London, ON, Canada: 2007),

Wesleyan College Wesleyan College is a private, liberal arts women's college in Macon, Georgia. Founded in 1836, Wesleyan was the first college in the world chartered to grant degrees to women. History The school was chartered on December 23, 1836, as the Geo ...

(Macon, GA: 2008),

Siena College Siena College is an American private Franciscan college in Loudonville, New York. Siena was founded by the Order of Friars Minor in 1937. The college was named after Bernardino of Siena, a 15th-century Italian Franciscan friar and preacher. St ...

(Loudonville, NY: 2009), the

University of Groningen The University of Groningen (abbreviated as UG; nl, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, abbreviated as RUG) is a Public university#Continental Europe, public research university of more than 30,000 students in the city of Groningen (city), Groningen in ...

(Groningen, Netherlands: 2010); and the

University of New Mexico The University of New Mexico (UNM; es, Universidad de Nuevo México) is a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Founded in 1889, it is the state's flagship academic institution and the largest by enrollment, with over 25,400 ...

(Albuquerque, NM: 2012); Kent State University Regional Campuses (Warren and Canton, Ohio, 2012); St. Norbert College (De Pere, Wisconsin, 2013);

Georgia Institute of Technology The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...

(Atlanta, Georgia, 2014); Washington and Jefferson College (Pittsburgh, PA, 2015);

Bamberg University The University of Bamberg (german: Otto-Friedrich-Universität Bamberg) in Bamberg, Germany, specializes in the humanities, cultural studies, social sciences, economics, and applied computer science. Campus The university is mainly housed in ...

(Bavaria, Germany, 2016);

University of Salzburg The University of Salzburg (german: Universität Salzburg), also known as the Paris Lodron University of Salzburg (''Paris-Lodron-Universität Salzburg'', PLUS), is an Austrian public university A public university or public college is a univ ...

(Salzburg, Austria, 2017); Brock University (St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, 2018); Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, Georgia, 2019); Old Dominion University (Norfolk, Virginia, 2020); Delta College (Michigan, 2021).

Select Publications

* "Medievalism." In: ''The Arthurian Encyclopedia'', ed. Norris J. Lacy. New York: Garland, 1985. pp. 387–91. * "Medievalism and Romanticism." In: ''Poetica''. 39-40 (1994), 1-34. * "Medievalism Today." In:
Medieval Feminist Forum
'. 23/1 (1997), 29–33. * ''Studies in Medievalism'', 1979–1999. (Ed.)

Literature

William Calin William Compaine Calin (born April 4, 1936 in Newington, Connecticut, died May 20, 2018 in Lake City, Florida) was a senior scholar of Medieval French literature and French poetry at the University of Florida. His work has focused on Occitan Stu ...

: "Leslie Workman: A Speech of Thanks," in: Richard Utz and Tom Shippey (eds.): ''Medievalism in the Modern World. Essays in Honour of Leslie Workman''. Turnhout: Brepols, 1998. pp. 451–52. * Richard Utz: "Medievalism in the Making: A Bibliography of Leslie J. Workman," in:
The Year's Work in Medievalism
' 15 (2001), 127–31. * Richard Utz: "Medievalism," in: Robert Bjork (ed.): ''Oxford Dictionary of the Middle Ages'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010), vol. III, pp. 1118–1119. *Richard Utz: "Coming to Terms with Medievalism: Toward a Conceptual History." ''European Journal of English Studies'' 15.2 (2011): 101–13. * Kathleen Verduin: "The Founding and the Founder:

Medievalism Medievalism is a system of belief and practice inspired by the Middle Ages of Europe, or by devotion to elements of that period, which have been expressed in areas such as architecture, literature, music, art, philosophy, scholarship, and variou ...

and the Legacy of Leslie J. Workman," ''Studies in Medievalism'' 17 (2009). * Kathleen Verduin: "Remembering Leslie J. Workman (1927–2001)," in: Anne Lair and Richard Utz (eds.): ''Falling into Medievalism'

Special edition: ''UNIversitas: The University of Northern Iowa Journal of Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity'', 2006.

References

External links

short biography

{{DEFAULTSORT:Workman, Leslie J. 1927 births 2001 deaths British medievalists Alumni of King's College London Columbia Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni Ohio State University alumni New York University faculty Western College for Women faculty Muhlenberg College alumni 20th-century British Army personnel Academic journal editors People from Hanwell British emigrants to the United States Independent scholars