René Wellek

Background

Wellek, René was born on August 22, 1903 in Vienna, Austria. Came to United States, 1939, naturalized, 1946. Son of Bronislav and Gabriele (von Zelewski) Wellek.

Education

Doctor of Philosophy, Charles University, Prague, Czechoslovakia, 1926. Postgraduate, Princeton University, 1928. Doctor of Humane Letters, Lawrence College, 1958.

Doctor of Letters, Oxford and Harvard universities, 1960. Doctor of Letters, University Maryland, 1964. Doctor of Letters, Boston College, 1966.

Doctor of Letters, Columbia University, 1968. Doctor of Letters, University Montreal, 1970. Doctor of Letters, University Louvain, 1970.

Doctor of Letters, University Michigan, 1972. Doctor of Letters, University Munich, 1972. Doctor of Letters, University East Anglia, 1975.

Doctor of Letters, State University of New York-Binghamton, 1983. Doctor of Letters, City University of New York, 1984. Doctor of Letters, University Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, 1986.

Career

Instructor, Smith College, 1928-1929. Instructor Princeton University, 1929-1930. Privatdocent Charles University, 1930-1935.

Lecturer School Slavonic Studies, University London, 1935-1939. Member faculty University Iowa, 1939-1946, professor English, 1944-1946. Professor Slavic and comparative literature Yale University, 1946-1952, director graduate studies comparative literature, also chairman Slavic department, 1948-1959, chairman department comparative literature, 1960-1972, fellow Silliman College, from 1950, Sterling professor comparative literature, 1952-1972, Sterling professor emeritus, from 1972.

Visiting professor Harvard University, 1950, 53-54. Lecturer Princeton seminars in literature criticism, 1950, visiting professor comparative literature, fall 1973. Visiting summer professor University Minnesota, 1947, Columbia University, 1948, University Hawaii, 1961, University California, Berkeley, 1963, Indiana University, Bloomington, 1980.

Fellow Huntington Library, San Marino, California, 1942, Kenyon School English, 1949, Indiana School Letters, 1950-1972. Visiting Patten professor comparative literature Indiana University, Bloomington, spring 1974. Senior fellow Society Humanities Cornell University, 1977.

Visiting professor University California, San Diego, 1979, Riverside, 1982, Santa Barbara, 1983. Walker-Ames professor University Washington, Seattle, 1979, State University of New York, Albany, 1980. In charge ASTP program on Czechoslovakia, University Iowa, 1943-1944.

Member joint committee American Council Learned Societies and Social Science Research Council Slavic Studies, 1948-1957.

Achievements

• René Wellek has been listed as a notable emeritus comparative literature educator, author by Marquis Who's Who.

Works

More photos

• book

  • The Attack on Literature and Other Essays

    (With the erudition that has distinguished his lifelong st...)

  • Concepts of Criticism

    ( Provocative and penetrating, these essays attest to Mr....)

  • A History of Modern Criticism: Volumes 1 and 2

Membership

Member Royal Netherlands Academy (foreign), Italian National Academy (foreign), American Academy Arts and Sciences, Bavarian Academy, British Academy, International Association Comparative Literature (president 1961-1964), American Association Comparative Literature (president 1962-1965), Czechoslovak Society Arts and Sciences American (president 1962-1966), Modern Humanities Research Association (president 1974), P.E.N. Club New York, Modern Language Association (editorial board 1946-1950, 53-59, committee research activities 1949-1955, executive council 1959, vice president 1964), Connecticut Academy, American Philosophical Society, Linguistic Society.

Connections

Married Olga Brodská, December 23, 1932 (deceased September 1967). 1 son, Alexander Ivan. Married Nonna D. Shaw, May 21, 1968.

Father:

Bronislav Wellek

Mother:

Gabriele (von Zelewski) Wellek

Spouse:

Nonna D. Shaw

Spouse:

Olga Brodská