James B. Munn Dies at Age 76, Headed English Dept. for 10 Years

James B. Munn '12, professor of English, emeritus, died Monday night at age 76 in his Cambridge home.

Munn was a member of the Faculty from 1932 until his retirement in 1957 and served for ten years as chairman of Harvard's English Department. An accomplished scholars, Munn was interested in the teaching of undergraduates. During the postwar era, his course, "The Bible as Literature," was among the most popular in the College.

A close friend, John N. D. Bush, Gurney Professor of English Literature, emeritus, said yesterday that Munn was "both a serious and jolly theologian in this course. He gave himself freely to the welfare of the College and all its inhabitants--young and old--and was a great stabilizing influence during the difficult war years."

Munn's interest in students extended beyond academic matters. Many undergraduates held keys to his home and used his personal library. In addition, Munn often aided needy graduate students with cataloging jobs in his personal library.

Munn made extensive and often anonymous donations of rare works of English belles-lettres to the Houghton Library. He gave works from his personal collection, as well as works purchased for the library.

Before his appointment to the Faculty, Munn taught at N.Y.U. and gave aid and encouragement to the young Thomas Wolfe, who was then an N.Y.U. instructor.

Another close associate, Herschel C. Baker, professor of English, said yesterday that "Munn was an erudite man, but he was able to harness his erudition to the teaching of undergraduates."

After Wolfe's death, relatives found that his copy of an anthology co-edited by Munn had the passage took homeward, angel," heavily underscored. Wolfe used the phrase as the title of his chief novel.