Rago, Henry, 1915-1969

Poet and editor, Henry Anthony Rago was born on October 5, 1915, in Chicago, IL and in 1937 he graduated from DePaul University with a bachelors of law degree; two years later earned a degree in literature from the same school. During World War II, Rago served in the U.S. Army, becoming a first lieutenant and receiving a Bronze Star for his duties. Following the war, he returned to academia where, in 1941 he obtained his Ph.D. from Notre Dame University, graduating magna cum laude. In that same year, his first book The Philosophy of Esthetic Individualism was published.

From 1941-1942, Rago returned to DePaul University as an instructor in English while also serving as a lecturer in philosophy at Barat College of the Sacred Heart (now Barat College), Lake Forest, IL. From 1947-1959, Rago would teach and lecture at several colleges and universities in the Chicago area, including the University of Chicago, Divinity School, and St. Xavier College Chicago. During these appointments, in 1959, he published The Travelers, one of three collections of his poems to appear in print.

In 1955, Rago became editor of Poetry following Karl Jay Shapiro. In 1961, he participated with Carl Benson and Macha Louis Rosenthal in a number of conferences on twentieth century American poetry in Germany so successfully that Rosenthal endeavored to arrange another such tour as noted in his letter to George Tufford Moody on Feb. 11, 1963. Shortly before his death on May 26, 1969, Rago had resigned as editor effective in the Fall in order to return to the University of Chicago as a professor.

Rago was married to Juliet Maggio, with whom he had four children: Maria Christina, Maria Carmela, Anthony Pascal, Maria Martha.