Houghton Commemorates Samuel Johnson's Death

Commemorating the 200th anniversary of the death of Samuel Johnson 125 scholars gathered at Houghton Library for the presentation of two academic papers on the life and work the 18th century English poet and critic.

The presentations which served as an informal reunion for a group of Johnson scholars officially marked the opening of an exhibition of books and manuscripts about the writer's life and death. The exhibition will run through March 9.

Marquand Professor of English and American Literature David D. Perkins '51 quoted T.S. Eliot in calling Johnson "the best Augustan" in a presentation he gave on the influence of Johnson and his contemporaries on twentieth century poetry.

Professor of English and American Literature James T. Engell '73 followed with a paper entitled. "The Inhibited Johnson" in which he dispelled popular misconceptions about the critic. "He was not the critic of common sense as it commonly understood," Engell said. Rather he explained the inhibitions of Johnson were a reflection of "his delight in internal contradictions."

The commemorative event was sponsored by a 50 member group calling themselves the Johnsoniars, who usually meet each year in September to honor Johnson's birth. They met last September in New Haven but decided to gather again in December to commemorate the bicentennial of Johnson's death, which actually fell on December 13.

In an unexpected ceremony preceding the lectures, Engell presented Porter University Professor and renowned Johnson scholar Walter J. Bate with the first copy of the 12th volume of the Harvard English Studies series entitled "Johnson and His Age." The book should be released from the press in a few weeks. Bate is regarded by many to be the world's foremost authority on Johnson.