Wren, Robert M.

American educator.

Robert Meriwether Wren was born February 21, 1928, to Clark Campbell and Mamie (Culpeper) Wren in Washington, DC. He earned his BA at the University of Houston (1954), and his MA (1956) and PhD (1965) at Princeton University. He initially focused his research on Northern European theater, but in 1968 shifted his interests to African literature. Wren held academic appointments as Instructor in English, Douglas College at Rutgers University (1956-1960); Instructor in Drama, State University of New York at Binghamton (1960-1962); Instructor in English, Knox College, Galesburg, Illinois (1964-1965); and at the University of Houston as Assistant Professor (1965-1968); Associate Professor (1968-1979); and Professor (1979-1989).

Wren was twice a Senior Fulbright Lecturer in Nigeria. His first appointment from 1973 to 1975, at the University of Lagos, was at the invitation of writer and English Department Chair, J. P. Clark. Wren accepted the appointment after originally seeking to lecture in South Africa, where he was denied a visa as an undesirable person. He spent his second Fulbright fellowship at the University of Ibadan from 1982 to 1983.

At Lagos, Wren taught Shakespeare, American and African literature, and lectured occasionally on Robert Frost (who he met in 1955). Outside of teaching, Wren traveled extensively, produced a play, and directed a Nigerian opera. He wrote fiction, including an unpublished novel, and became interested in the work of the Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe. His interest in Nigerian writers' adaptation of British English usage and his attempt to understand the cultural context of Achebe's Arrow of God led to his book Achebe's World: The Historical and Cultural Context of the Novels of Chinua Achebe (Three Continents Press: Washington, DC, 1980). While at Lagos, he also developed a working relationship with J. P. Clark, the subject of his second book, J. P. Clark (Bernth Lindfors, ed. Twayne's World Authors Series, G. K. Hall: Boston, 1984). During his stay in Ibadan, Wren conducted interviews and produced extensive notes for his book Those Magical Years: The Making of Nigerian Literature: 1948-1966 (Three Continents Press: Boston, 1991).

In addition to his books on African literature, Wren published numerous articles on American and African literature, European Renaissance and 17th century theater and religion. He also wrote fiction under the pen name Robert Campbell. Singularities, an anthology of short fiction, was published by Acolyte Press (Amsterdam) in 1989. At the time of his death, he was reportedly working on a manuscript on homosexuality in 18th century England.

Wren had a strong interest in tennis and sponsored several Nigerian tennis players from secondary school through college. He was a member of the International Federation for Theater Research, the Malone Society, African Studies Association (Program Director 1976-1977), Western Association of Africanists (President 1977-1979), and served on the editorial board of the Journal of Homosexuality. In the late 1980s he served on the steering committee of the North American Man/Boy Love Association (NAMBLA).

Wren was killed June 11, 1989, when a Scenic Air Tours plane crashed in Hawaii. He was visiting Hawaii prior to taking a Fulbright fellowship in Indonesia.