Joseph Henry McMahon papers

Collection

Identifier: 1000-393

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection contains material on or by Saint John Perse, the subject of McMahon's masters (1959) and doctoral (1960) theses at Stanford University. It also contains letters he received from John and Barbara Hersey.

Dates

Creation: 1958-1971

Creator

McMahon, Joseph H. (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

University records - Copyright held by Wesleyan University; all other copyright is retained by the creator - In Copyright – Non-Commercial Use Permitted

Biographical / Historical

Born on October 21, 1930, New York City. Son of Thomas A. and Catharine Loretto (Freeman) McMahon
Bachelor of Arts, Manhattan College, 1952
Fulbright fellow (France), 1952
Served with United States Army, 1955-1957
Master of Arts, Stanford University, 1959
Doctor of Philosophy, Stanford University, 1960
Went from instructor to associate professor, Yale University, New Haven, 1960-1968
Served as dean, Pierson College, Yale University, 1963-1966
Associate professor, Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, 1968-1973
Served as dean of college, Wesleyan University, 1968-1969
Guggenheim fellow, 1972
Master of Arts, Wesleyan University, 1973
Professor, Wesleyan University, 1973-1982
Hollis Professor of Romance Languages and Literatures, Wesleyan, 1982-1987
Died November 12, 1987

Professor McMahon was a specialist in French literature and cultural thought. He was the author of two books: "The Imagination of Jean Genet" and "Humans Being: The World of Jean-Paul Sartre."

He established the McMahon lecture fund at Wesleyan in honor of his parents, Catharine and Thomas McMahon.