Mary Louise Cowan ( Shillingburg; December 22, 1916 – November 16, 2015) was an American critic and teacher, and wife of the physicist and

University of Dallas The University of Dallas is a private Catholic university in Irving, Texas. Established in 1956, it is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The university comprises four academic units: the Braniff Graduate School ...

president Donald Cowan (author of ''Unbinding Prometheus''). She taught at

Texas Christian University Texas Christian University (TCU) is a private research university in Fort Worth, Texas. It was established in 1873 by brothers Addison and Randolph Clark as the Add-Ran Male & Female College. It is affiliated with the Christian Church (Discipl ...

and

Thomas More College of Liberal Arts The Thomas More College of Liberal Arts is a private Roman Catholic liberal arts college in Merrimack, New Hampshire. It emphasizes classical education in the Catholic intellectual tradition and is named after Saint Thomas More. It is accredi ...

. Cowan lived in

Dallas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...

, where she taught at both at the

and the Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture. She was a prominent figure in Dallas society as a mentor and friend to many Dallas dignitaries and as one of the city's leading intellectuals. Cowan was vastly influential in the fostering of the liberal arts, helping shape core curricula for several liberal arts universities. In studies of

the American South The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...

, she was an influential critic of

Faulkner William Cuthbert Faulkner (; September 25, 1897 – July 6, 1962) was an American writer known for his novels and short stories set in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County, based on Lafayette County, Mississippi, where Faulkner spent most of ...

, the Fugitive Group, and other Southern writers. A doctoral student of Donald Davidson at

Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and rail magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided the school its initial $1-million ...

, she became a friend to members of the Southern Agrarians, and was considered to be the critical heir to their legacy. Her

criticism Criticism is the construction of a judgement about the negative qualities of someone or something. Criticism can range from impromptu comments to a written detailed response. , ''"the act of giving your opinion or judgment about the good or bad q ...

has influenced many who continue to write about the South. In 1991, she was a recipient of the Frankel Prize. In 2010, she was named on a list of the twenty most brilliant living

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι� ...

professors. She died November 16, 2015, of natural causes at the age of 98.

Books

* ''The Fugitive Group: A Literary History'' (1959) * ''The Southern Critics: An Introduction to the Criticism of

John Crowe Ransom John Crowe Ransom (April 30, 1888 – July 3, 1974) was an American educator, scholar, literary critic, poet, essayist and editor. He is considered to be a founder of the New Criticism school of literary criticism. As a faculty member at Kenyon ...

, Allen Tate, Donald Davidson, Robert Penn Warren, Cleanth Brooks, and Andrew Lytle'' (1971) * ''The Terrain of Comedy'' (edited and introduced) (1983) * ''Classic Texts and the Nature of Authority: An Account of a Principals' Institute Conducted by the Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture'' (edited with Donald Cowan, with essays and commentary) (1993) * ''Invitation to the Classics'' (edited with Os Guinness) (1998)

References

External links

Louise Cowan's page at the University of Dallas website

"The Prime of Louise Cowan"
in '' D Magazine''
Interview with Louise Cowan
1916 births 2015 deaths National Humanities Medal recipients Texas Christian University faculty Thomas More College of Liberal Arts University of Dallas faculty Vanderbilt University alumni {{US-edu-bio-stub