Douglas, Wallace W. (Wallace Warner), 1914-1995

Wallace Warner Douglas was born on December 10, 1914, in Chicago, Illinois. He received his B.A. from Colgate (1936), M.A. from University of Chicago (1937), and his Ph.D. from Harvard (1946).

He came to Northwestern University as an instructor in English in September, 1945. He was promoted to assistant professor in 1948, associate professor, 1955, and professor, 1964. Douglas became emeritus in 1980. Much of his work, especially in later years, was involved with composition.

Before coming to Northwestern, Douglas was a teaching assistant at Indiana University, 1937-1940, and an instructor at Williams College from June 1942 to October 1944. From 1940 to 1942 and late 1944 to June 1945, he was working toward his doctoral degree at Harvard.

In 1951-1952 he had an American Council of Learned Societies fellowship to study modern anthropologic theories that had influenced current theories about the nature and purpose of literature. Douglas had two Guggenheim Foundation fellowships: 1953-1954, to study Wordsworth, and 1972-1973 to study the history of the teaching of English composition in the United States.

Douglas was active in several organizations, especially the National Council of Teachers of English and the Modern Language Association. Wallace Douglas died in 1995.

From the guide to the Wallace W. Douglas (1914-1995)Papers, 1906-1995, (Northwestern University Archives)