Elder Olson

After graduating with a BA in 1934, he was awarded an MA from the University of Chicago in 1935. The same year he received a Friends of Literature award. In 1937, he married Ann Elisabeth Jones and the couple had two children (Ann and Elder). He was awarded a Ph.D. in 1938 from the University of Chicago with the dissertation, General Prosody, Rhythmis, Metric, Harmonic. He became a founder and leading figure of the so-called "Chicago school" of literary criticism. In 1942, he started teaching at the University of Chicago as an assistant professor in the Department of English. He divorced Ann Elisabeth Jones then married Geraldine Louise Hays in 1948, and they had two children: Olivia and Shelley. In 1955 he was presented with the Poetry Society of America Chap-book Award. He gained full professorship in 1955 and was named Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of English in 1973. He received the Quantrell Award. During his career he traveled abroad several times as a visiting professor, but he remained a member of the university faculty until his retirement in 1977. He died of pneumonia in Albuquerque, N. M. at the age of 83.

• Name — Elder James Olson • Birth Name — Elder James Olson • Born — 9 March 1909 • Birthplace — Chicago, Illinois, U.S. • Died — 25 July 1992 • Place of death — Albuquerque, N.M., U.S. • Education — University of Chicago (BA, MA, PhD) • Occupation — Poet, literary critic