Richmond C. Beatty (January 6, 1905 – October 9, 1961) was an American academic, biographer and critic. He was the author of several books.
Early life
Richmond C. Beatty was born on January 6, 1905, in
Shawnee, Oklahoma
Shawnee () is a city in and the county seat of Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 29,857 in 2010, a 4.9 percent increase from the figure of 28,692 in 2000. The city is part of the Oklah ...
.
He grew up in
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Jefferson County, Alabama, Jefferson County. The population was 200,733 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List ...
, where his father, William Henry Beatty, was a "cotton buyer."
His mother was Caroline Barbour.
He had a brother and two sisters.
Beatty graduated from
Birmingham-Southern College, where he earned a bachelor's degree in 1926.
He subsequently attended
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private university, private research university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provide ...
, where he earned a master's degree in 1928 and a PhD in 1930.
Career
Beatty began his career as an English professor at Tennessee State Teachers College (later known as the
University of Memphis
The University of Memphis (Memphis) is a public university, public research university in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1912, the university has an enrollment of more than 20,000 students.
The university maintains the Herff Col ...
) from 1930 to 1935.
He was an assistant professor of English at the
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, the Capstone, or Bama) is a Public university, public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of ...
from 1935 to 1937.
He was an associate professor of English and American Literature at Vanderbilt University from 1937 to 1946, when he became a full professor.
He retired from academia in 1956, and he joined the staff of ''
The Tennessean
''The Tennessean'' (known until 1972 as ''The Nashville Tennessean'') is a daily newspaper in Nashville, Tennessee. Its circulation area covers 39 counties in Middle Tennessee and eight counties in southern Kentucky. It is owned by Gannett, w ...
'' as the literary editor.
Beatty was the author of several books, including biographies. He was awarded a
Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowships are Grant (money), grants that have been awarded annually since by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, endowed by the late Simon Guggenheim, Simon and Olga Hirsh Guggenheim. These awards are bestowed upon indiv ...
in 1940.
He was a member of the
Modern Language Association
The Modern Language Association of America, often referred to as the Modern Language Association (MLA), is widely considered the principal professional association in the United States for scholars of language and literature. The MLA aims to "str ...
.
Personal life and death
Beatty married Floy Ward in 1927.
They resided at 3627 Hoods Hill Road in the
Green Hills neighborhood of Nashville.
He survived
throat cancer
Head and neck cancer is a general term encompassing multiple cancers that can develop in the head and neck region. These include cancers of the mouth, tongue, gums and lips ( oral cancer), voice box ( laryngeal), throat ( nasopharyngeal, orophar ...
in 1956.
Beatty died on October 9, 1961, at his Nashville residence, and he was buried in the Calvary Cemetery in Nashville.
Selected works
*
* (with
Edd Winfield Parks
Edd Winfield Parks (February 25, 1906 – May 7, 1968) was an American educator and writer.
Biography
Parks was born in Newbern, Tennessee, the son of Edward Winfield and Emma Parks. He was educated at Harvard University and attained his Ph.D. ...
)
*
*
*
* (co-editor with Floyd C. Watkins and Thomas Daniel Young)
* (co-editor with Sculley Bradley and E. Hudson Long)
Further reading
*
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beatty, Richmond C.
1905 births
1961 deaths
People from Shawnee, Oklahoma
Writers from Birmingham, Alabama
Writers from Nashville, Tennessee
Vanderbilt University alumni
University of Memphis faculty
University of Alabama faculty
Vanderbilt University faculty
20th-century American biographers
People from Green Hills, Tennessee