Page, Curtis Hidden, 1870-1946

Curtis Hidden Page was an American educator and translator born in Greenwood, Missouri, in 1870. The Pages trace their roots back to some of the founding members of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, including Gov. John Winthrop. Page graduated from Harvard University in 1892 with a doctorate in English Literature and a concentration in French. He taught French and English at Harvard for fifteen years. In 1911, after a brief stint at Columbia and Northwestern Universities, Page became a professor of English Literature at Dartmouth College, where he remained until his death in 1946.

In World War I, Page served as an officer in the Ordinance Corp. from 1917 to 1919. He advanced to the rank of major through a series of rapid promotions during his first few months due to his ability to speak both French and German and translate effectively. Page later served his state of New Hampshire as a state legislator in 1933 and again in 1939 at the age of 69.

Throughout his life, Dr. Page was a prolific and gifted poet. He published not only in literary journals and magazines like Vanity Fair, but also in stand-alone collections. Page is known for his theatrical translations of plays by Molière, Rabelais, and de Bergerac. His translation of Tartuffe, or the Hypocrite by Molière remains the definitive text for English productions.

American educator, writer.

Page was professor of French and English at Harvard, Dartmouth, and Columbia Universities, author of several volumes of poetry including translations from Ronsard and the Japanese, and President of the Poetry Society of America.