Print

Print
He’s doubtless feeling a bit overwhelmed at the moment, but I’m sure that his son Ross, my colleague at Barnard (brilliant on the later 18th c. and I know that Bert was proud of him), would be able to help. I can send his e-mail to anybody who wants it, although of course it’s also on the Barnard website. Bert, as Bill suggests, was one of the best shepherds imaginable for the Spenser Encyclopedia. (He also when we first met told me I couldn’t possibly have an 18-year-old son and he managed to add a touch of surprise that gave the gallantry conviction—sweet). 

On Jun 17, 2016, at 5:13 PM, William Oram <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

I can only echo others on his generosity and his care for others, especially for those less established than he was. I've always thought of him as a model of how to act in the profession. The immense and often thankless work that he put into the Spenser Encyclopedia (along with Don Cheney, Kent Hieatt and David Richardson) created a platform on which new scholars (or old ones going into new areas) could stand and find out where to begin. That moved everyone forward. He was always willing to help.   

Tom mentioned a new book.  I had heard from him that he was working on a book about midcentury poets.  Does anyone know anything about it?  Bill Oram

On Fri, Jun 17, 2016 at 1:11 PM, Linda Gregerson <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Oh, this is desperately sad loss to the Spenser community.  I know my own debt to A. C. Hamilton is immeasurable.  I cannot imagine our world without the extraordinary gift of his scholarship.

On Thu, Jun 16, 2016 at 11:26 PM, Sean Henry <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
I just with sadness learned through the Queen's English alumni Facebook group that Bert Hamilton has died. Shelley King posted the notice I append below.

Sean.



In Memoriam: Cappon Professor Emeritus A. C. Hamilton

Queen's English announces with regret the passing of Albert Charles "Bert" Hamilton (July 20, 1921 - June 14, 2016). A specialist in Renaissance literature, A. C. Hamilton was a scholar of formidable intellect and range. From his first monograph "The Structure of Allegory of 'The Faerie Queene'" (1961) to his final "Northrop Frye: Anatomy of His Criticism" (1990), Hamilton's work was celebrated for its rigor and precision. If you have read Spenser's "The Faerie Queene," you are probably indebted to his insights, whether through his edition of the epic or the wealth of scholarship contained in "The Spenser Encyclopedia." For many years he held the title "Cappon Professor," the highest recognition of scholarship in the department; on his retirement we created the A.C. Hamilton Prize (affectionately known by some of us as "The Bertie") to recognize a doctoral thesis of outstanding merit each year. Many graduate students in the 80s and 90s have fond memories of time spent with Bert Hamilton and his wife Mary at their cottage on Buck Lake.



--
-------------------------------------------------
Sean Henry, B.A., M.A., PhD.
Lecturer, Department of English
University of Victoria, B.C., Canada
[log in to unmask]



--
Linda Gregerson
Caroline Walker Bynum Distinguished University Professor
Department of English
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor MI 48105 USA



--
William Oram
Helen Means Professor of English
Smith College
Northampton, MA 01063