Philip Harry Cummings (1906–1991) was a world traveler, teacher of Spanish and other languages, news analyst, and public speaker. The

only child An only child is a person with no siblings, by birth or adoption. Children who have half-siblings, step-siblings, or have never met their siblings, either living at the same house or at a different house—especially those who were born consider ...

of Harry Foster and Addie Cummings, Philip was born and grew up in

Hardwick, Vermont Hardwick is a town in Caledonia County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,920 at the 2020 census. It contains the unincorporated villages of Hardwick, East Hardwick, and Mackville. The town is a commercial center for the region's farm ...

. His father was a prosperous insurance and real estate salesman. Philip received a B.A. in Modern Languages from Rollins College in 1929, and an M.A. in Spanish from Middlebury College, 1932. He began but did not complete a Ph.D. in Spanish at what was then the

University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the multi-campus public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referred to as the UNC Sy ...

. One article from his research there was published in the professional journal ''

Hispania Hispania ( la, Hispānia , ; nearly identically pronounced in Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, and Italian) was the Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula and its provinces. Under the Roman Republic, Hispania was divided into two provinces: Hisp ...

''. Cummings was a great traveler and made sixteen transatlantic crossings between ages 19 and 29. A classmate at Rollins remembered him clearly after 45 years as "one of the most rematkable persons she had ever met". Cummings sometimes wrote to important people, such as the eminent Spanish scholar

Miguel de Unamuno Miguel de Unamuno y Jugo (29 September 1864 – 31 December 1936) was a Spanish essayist, novelist, poet, playwright, philosopher, professor of Greek and Classics, and later rector at the University of Salamanca. His major philosophical essa ...

, "cold" and was able to meet them. He was introduced to Alfonso XIII, King of Spain at court and got to know the Spanish royal family and the Duke of Alba. One of the most important episodes in Cummings's life was the ten days he spent with his friend and lover, Spanish poet and playwright

Federico García Lorca Federico del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús García Lorca (5 June 1898 – 19 August 1936), known as Federico García Lorca ( ), was a Spanish poet, playwright, and theatre director. García Lorca achieved international recognition as an emblemat ...

, in August 1929. The two met in Madrid in 1928 and spent another brief time together when Lorca was en route to New York in June 1929. At the conclusion of the

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 ...

summer session of 1929, Lorca went by train to Burlington, Vermont, and from there to the Cummings family's summer rental cottage in Eden Mills, Vermont. During that visit, Cummings translated Lorca's book ''Canciones'' (''Songs'') into English, with Lorca's advice on key points. This is the only translation of Lorca's work into any language in which he is known to have participated. During this period, Lorca also wrote several poems that became part of his book ''

Poeta en Nueva York ''Poet in New York'' (in Spanish, ''Poeta en Nueva York'') is one of the most important works of Spanish author Federico García Lorca. It is a body of poems composed during the visit of the poet to Columbia University in New York in the years 1 ...

''. Cummings and Lorca renewed their friendship in the fall of 1930 when Cummings returned to Madrid on a

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fellowship. He returned to the United States abruptly the following spring on the advice of his IIE sponsors, just before Alfonso XIII left the throne. There is no evidence that Cummings ever saw Lorca again, although they may have continued to exchange letters. He did not return to Spain for many years; he was unhappy with Spain's new, leftist government. Cummings claimed to have destroyed an autobiographical manuscript that Lorca left with him in 1929, but there is no independent evidence that the manuscript ever existed, and Cummings is far from a reliable source. In the midst of the Great Depression, Cummings was happy to get a job teaching Spanish, French, and German at the Valley Ranch School for Boys in

Cody, Wyoming Cody is a city in Northwest Wyoming and the seat of government of Park County, Wyoming, United States. It is named after Colonel William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody for his part in the founding of Cody in 1896. The population was 10,066 at th ...

. He kept a detailed diary of his first year there. One portion, dealing with a school holiday visit to the South Dakota capital,

Pierre Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French form of the name Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). It is a translation ...

, has been published, and the rest is being prepared for publication. The school closed in 1934. Starting in 1938, Cummings began a new career as a paid lecturer and news analyst. He was represented by various agencies; in the 1950s he was represented by the W. Colston Leigh agency of New York, Washington, and San Francisco, where he joined a roster of speakers that included such famous names as

David Brinkley David McClure Brinkley (July 10, 1920 – June 11, 2003) was an American newscaster for NBC and ABC in a career lasting from 1943 to 1997. From 1956 through 1970, he co-anchored NBC's top-rated nightly news program, '' The Huntley–Brinkl ...

Vance Packard Vance Oakley Packard (May 22, 1914 – December 12, 1996) was an American journalist and social critic. He was the author of several books, including ''The Hidden Persuaders'' and '' The Naked Society''. He was a critic of consumerism. Early lif ...

, and

Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt () (October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four ...

. Cummings's appeal as a lecturer was reflected in his billing as the agency's top repeat speaker on world affairs. He made his home for many years in

Woodstock, Vermont Woodstock is the shire town (county seat) of Windsor County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 3,005. It includes the villages of Woodstock, South Woodstock, Taftsville, and West Woodstock. History Cha ...

References

External links

* "Philip H. Cummings. A Work in Progress," Web site created by Patricia Billingsley

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cummings, Philip American translators Spanish–English translators University of North Carolina alumni Rollins College alumni Middlebury College alumni 20th-century American educators Pierre, South Dakota 1906 births 1991 deaths 20th-century translators People from Cody, Wyoming Federico García Lorca People from Woodstock, Vermont Language teachers American gay writers Gay academics LGBT people from Vermont People from Hardwick, Vermont American lecturers