Robert Durene Jacobs Jr. (died October 28, 1998) was an American academic who specialised in the

literature Literature is any collection of Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially novels, Play (theatre), plays, and poetry, poems. It includes both print and Electroni ...

of the

Southern United States The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, Dixieland, or simply the South) is List of regions of the United States, census regions defined by the United States Cens ...

. Originally from Mississippi, Jacobs served in the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, before returning to the United States and becoming a university lecturer. He published works on topics including the Southern Renaissance and

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales involving mystery and the macabre. He is widely re ...

Early life and education

Jacobs was a native of

Bovina, Mississippi Bovina is a census-designated place and unincorporated community located about east of Vicksburg in Warren County, Mississippi, on Interstate 20 Interstate 20 (I‑20) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the Southern United St ...

. His father was Robert Durene Jacobs. Jacobs first attended

Louisiana State University Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as Louisiana State University (LSU), is an American Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louis ...

, before graduating from the

University of Mississippi The University of Mississippi (Epithet, byname Ole Miss) is a Public university, public research university in University, near Oxford, Mississippi, United States, with a University of Mississippi Medical Center, medical center in Jackson, Miss ...

in 1937. He received an MA from the University of Mississippi in 1938.

Military service and doctorate study

In January 1941, Jacobs enlisted in the

. Within the next year, he completed training at MCB Quantico to become an

officer An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...

and was commissioned second lieutenant. He was then promoted to the rank of

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

. From August 1942, he took part in the

Guadalcanal campaign The Guadalcanal campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by the United States, was an Allies of World War II, Allied offensive against forces of the Empire of Japan in the Solomon Islands during th ...

, engaging in battles at

Lunga Point Lunga Point is a promontory on the northern coast of Guadalcanal, the site of a naval battle during World War II. It was also the name of a nearby airfield, later named Henderson Field. is also the name of a United States Navy escort carrier t ...

and the

Matanikau River The Matanikau River of Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, is located in the northwest part of the island. During the World War II Guadalcanal campaign, several significant engagements occurred between United States and Japanese forces near the river ...

. By June 1945, he held the rank of Major. That month, he was announced as a tutor for the Officers' Refresher Course at the

Field Artillery School The United States Army Field Artillery School (USAFAS) trains Field Artillery Soldiers and Marines in tactics, techniques, and procedures for the employment of fire support systems in support of the maneuver commander. The school further develo ...

. Jacobs later graduated from

Johns Hopkins University The Johns Hopkins University (often abbreviated as Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1876 based on the European research institution model, J ...

with a PhD in English. While there, he taught the fiction writer

John Barth John Simmons Barth (; May 27, 1930 – April 2, 2024) was an American writer best known for his postmodern and metafictional fiction. His most highly regarded and influential works were published in the 1960s, and include '' The Sot-Weed Facto ...

in an undergraduate creative writing class.

Academic career

In 1953, Jacobs began working at the

University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a Public University, public Land-grant University, land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky, United States. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical ...

as an instructor in English, speech and dramatic arts. He then joined

Georgia State University Georgia State University (Georgia State, State, or GSU) is a Public university, public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1913, it is one of the University System of Georgia's four research universities. It is al ...

in the 1970s, retiring as Callaway Chair professor of American literature in the 1980s.

Writing career

In the 1950s, Jacobs co-edited a collections of essays with Louis D. Rubin Jr. titled ''Southern Renascence: The Literature of the Modern South''. The pair edited another collection of essays in 1961, titled ''South: Modern South Literature in its Cultural Setting''. In 1969, he published ''Poe: Critic and Journalist''.

Personal life

Jacobs lived in

Dunwoody, Georgia Dunwoody is a city located in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. As a Atlanta metropolitan area, northern suburb of Atlanta, Dunwoody is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. It was incorporated as a city on December 1, 2008, but its area ...

. In September 1945, he announced his engagement to Mildred Page Simons. They had a daughter called Bonnie Page Jacobs. Jacobs's health deteriorated in his later years: he walked with a cane and suffered from memory problems. In October 1998, he disappeared while running errands and was found dead eight days later on October 28, having crashed his car into some trees near

Douglasville, Georgia The city of Douglasville is the county seat of and largest city in Douglas County, Georgia, United States. , the city had a population of 34,650, up from 30,961 in 2010 and 20,065 in 2000. Douglasville is located approximately west of Atlant ...

. He was 80 years old at the time of his death.

References

Externals links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Jacobs, Robert D. 1998 deaths 20th-century American academics People from Warren County, Mississippi Louisiana State University alumni University of Mississippi alumni Johns Hopkins University alumni University of Kentucky faculty Georgia State University faculty United States Marine Corps officers Edgar Allan Poe scholars