Alan Seymour Downer

Background

Downer, Alan Seymour was born on July 15, 1912 in Syracuse, New York, United States. Son of Harry Vincent and Mary Louese (Bliss) Downer.

Education

Bachelor of Arts, Harvard, 1934, Master of Arts, 1936.

Career

From instructor to assistant Professor of English, Wells College, 1939-1946. Member acting company Village Hall Players, Framingham, Massachusetts, summers 1939-1942, Forbes Theatre, Rockport, Massachusetts, 1943. Member of faculty Princeton, 1946-1970, Professor of English, 1957-1970. department chairman, 1963-1968.

Fulbright lecturer U. Copenhagen (Denmark), 1953-1954. Lecturer Salzburg Seminar American Studies, 1959, 61. Forbes Heermans lecturer Cornell Univercity, 1958.

Edgar Stone lecturer U. Toronto, 1963. Distinguished lecturer of year National Council Teachers of English, 1969.

Membership

Member acting company Village Hall Players, Framingham, Massachusetts, summers 1939-1942, Forbes Theatre, Rockport, Massachusetts, 1943. Member of faculty Princeton, 1946-1970, Professor of English, 1957-1970. department chairman, 1963-1968. Member Modern Language Association, American Society Theatre Research (co-founder, chairman 1956-1959), International Federation Theatre Research, Theatre library association, American Association University Professors, Phi Beta Kappa (honorary).

Club: Century Association.

Connections

Married Florence Marcia Walsh, September 6, 1941.

Father:

Harry Vincent Downer

Mother:

Mary Louese (Bliss) Downer

Spouse:

Florence Marcia Walsh