Leavitt, Sturgis E. (Sturgis Elleno), 1888-1976

Sturgis Elleno Leavitt (1888-1976) was born in Newhall, Me. In 1914, he bagan his teaching career at the University of North Carolina, advancing through the ranks to Kenan Professor of Spanish and retiring in 1960. He was a widely recognized expert in Spanish literature and wrote and spoke extensively on the teaching of Spanish and on Pan-American international relations.

Sturgis Elleno Leavitt was born in Newhall, Me., in 1888. He received his A.B. degree from Bowdoin College in 1908 and his M.A. in 1913 and Ph.D. in 1917, both from Harvard University. Also in 1917, he began his teaching career at the University of North Carolina, advancing through the ranks to Kenan Professor of Spanish and retiring in 1960. In 1941, he was named director of the Institute of Latin American Studies at UNC, and, in 1947, he help found the Southern Humanities Conference, which included fifteen societies focused on Latin American interests.

Leavitt was a widely recognized expert in Spanish literature and wrote and spoke extensively on the teaching of Spanish and on Pan-American international relations. He also authored many Spanish textbooks and compiled numerous bibliographies of Spanish literature. He also served as editor of the South-Atlantic Bulletin, the Revista Iberoamericana, and as associate editor of the Hispanic Review . He was a member of the board of trustees of the American Council of Learned Societies from 1946 to 1950 and chair of the Southern Humanities Conference from 1948 to 1951. He also served twice as president of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese and once as president of the South Atlantic Modern Language Association.

Leavitt traveled extensively, especially in Spain and Latin America. In 1953, he visited the west coast of South America lecturing at cultural centers and universities under the auspices of the U.S. State Department.

Throughout his long career, Leavitt received numerous honors, including honorary degrees from Davidson College and Bowdoin College. In 1959, he was made honorary mayor for life of Zalamea de la Serena, Spain. In 1961, he received a National Foreign Language Award from the National Federation of Modern Language Teachers Associations. In 1972, he was selected as one of the top ten scholars of Spanish in the U.S., and, in 1974, was elected to the Mexican Academy and as one of the first members of the Academy of Spanish Literature.

Leavitt was a member of the Mayflower Society and married to Alga Leavitt (d. 1964), who coached Thomas Wolfe when he acted with the Carolina Playmakers in the 1919 season.