Emrich, Duncan, 1908-1977

Duncan Emrich was an English Professor at Columbia from 1939 until 1942 when he joined the U.S. Army. During World War II he achieved the rank of major as the official American historian in the Secretary of the General Staff's office, Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Force. After the war, in 1945, he was appointed chief of the Archives of the American Folk Song section of the Library of Congress. He held various positions with the state until, in 1969, he returned to teaching and was a Professor of American Folklore at American University until 1977. Emrich died on August 23, 1977.

Duncan Emrich was an English Professor at Columbia from 1939 until 1942 when he joined the U.S. Army.

During World War II he achieved the rank of major as the official American historian in the Secretary of the General Staff's office, Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Force. After the war, in 1945, he was appointed chief of the Archives of the American Folk Song section of the Library of Congress. He held various positions with the state until, in 1969, he returned to teaching and was a Professor of American Folklore at American University until 1977. Emrich died on August 23, 1977.

Duncan Emrich, the son of missionaries, was born in Mardin, Turkey, on April 11, 1908. His career included such positions as professor of English, chief of the folklore section at the Library of Congress, and diplomat. During World War II, he served with U. S. Military Intelligence and was named American historian to General Eisenhower. He was also a contributor to folklore journals and several other periodicals. Under the pseudonym, Blackie Macdonald, he wrote articles for Police Gazette . In 1970 he won several notable awards for The Nonsense Book of Riddles, Rhymes, Tongue Twisters, Puzzles, and Jokes from American Folklore .

Biographical Source: Something About the Author, vol. 11, pp. 90-91.