Spingarn, Joel Elias, 1875-1939

Literary critic and reformer; taught at Columbia University in New York, 1899-1911.

From the description of Letter : [New York], to Elbridge Colby, 1911 March 17. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 21417689

Joel E. Spingarn was an educator and writer who worked with social reform causes, primarily with the NAACP.

From the description of Joel E. Spingarn Collection, 1910-1947. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 84422765

From the description of Joel E. Spingarn Collection, 1910-1947. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 702148310

Joel Spingarn was an educator and writer who published works on literary criticism and collections of his own poetry. He is most well-known for his involvement in social reform, primarily his work with the NAACP and his establishment of the Spingarn Medal, given to recognize the contributions of African-Americans.

From the guide to the Joel E. Spingarn Collection, 1910-1947, (Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library)

Joel and Amy Spingarn were philanthropists, humanitarians, and patrons of the arts.

From the description of Joel E. and Amy E. Spingarn papers, 1898-1972. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 122485290

From the guide to the Joel E. and Amy E. Spingarn papers, 1898-1972, (The New York Public Library. Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division.)

Joel Elias Spingarn (1875-1939) was an American literary critic, poet, teacher, and social reformer. After teaching comparative literature at Columbia University, he became active in literary and public affairs. He helped to found the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1909 and served as president from 1930 to 1939. The Spingarn medal which he endowed in 1913 is awarded yearly by the NAACP.

From the guide to the Joel E. Spingarn papers, 1890-1939, (The New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division.)

Joel E. Spingarn was born May 17, 1875 in New York City. He received a doctorate from Columbia University. He was a professor at Columbia but left academic life in 1911. He was a poet, editor and critic as well as a social reformer. He was an early member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and he established the Spingarn Medal. He served as NAACP president in the 1930's. He died July 26, 1939.

From the guide to the Joel E. Spingarn Papers, 1934-1938., (Special Collections, Earl Gregg Swem Library, College of William and Mary)

American professor of comparative literature at Columbia, literary critic, and poet.

From the description of Letter to Kathrine Larned Boggess, 1928. (Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens). WorldCat record id: 122332637

Botanist, professor, civil rights leader.

Spingarn was a member of the Board of Managers of the New York Botanical Garden.

From the description of Papers, [ca. 1931-1940] (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 155462516

Joel Elias Spingarn (1875-1939) was an American literary critic, poet, teacher, and social reformer.

After teaching comparative literature at Columbia University, he became active in literary and public affairs. He helped to found the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1909 and served as president from 1930 to 1939. The Spingarn medal which he endowed in 1913 is awarded yearly by the NAACP.

From the description of Joel E. Spingarn papers, 1890-1939. (New York Public Library). WorldCat record id: 122466640

Joel E. Spingarn was born in 1875, in New York City. He was educated as a literary critic, became an expert in horticulture and dedicated his life to the plight of the Black race. He served at various times as Chairman of the Board, President and Treasurer of the NAACP.

• 1875 May 17: Born to Elias Spingarn and Sarah Barnett Spingarn in New York. Spingarn's father was from Austria and his mother was from England.
• 1892: First of several trips to Europe
• 1893: Admitted to junior class at Columbia College
• 1895 - 1896 : Bachelor's degree from Columbia with honors. Studied English and comparative literature in graduate school at Harvard
• 1899: Doctorate from Columbia University. Published A History of Literary Criticism in the Renaissance.
• 1900: Address to International Congress of Comparative History in Paris on American Scholarship
• 1903: Founding editor of Journal of Comparative Literature
• 1905: Married Amy Einstein
• 1911: Spingarn left Columbia
• 1913 - 1919 : Chairman of the Board of the NAACP
• 1915: Went to military training camp, Des Moines, Iowa.
• 1916: Convened the Amenia Conference - invited the leaders of race struggle to his estate in Amenia, N.Y. to plan a course of action for racial problems
• 1916: Established the Spingarn Medal for the man or woman of African decent and American citizenship, who during the year shall have made the highest achievement in any field of human endeavor.
• 1918: Discharged from Army as lieutenant-colonel.
• 1919: One of the founders of Harcourt, Brace and Co.
• 1919 - 1930 : Treasurer of the NAACP
• 1930 - 1939 : President of the NAACP
• 1933: Second Amenia Conference inviting black youth.
• 1939 July 26: Died

From the guide to the Joel E. Spingarn Papers, 1908-1967, (Moorland-Spingarn Research Center, Howard University)