Arthur Hobson Quinn

Arthur Hobson Quinn (February 9, 1875 – October 16, 1960) was an American academic who specialized in American literature.

Born in Philadelphia, he studied at the University of Pennsylvania and worked there for sixty years until his retirement in 1954. He published several academic works on American literature and theatre.

Early life and education Arthur Hobson Quinn was born in Philadelphia on February 9, 1875. He had at least one brother. Quinn graduated the following year and was awarded membership of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society. In 1897, Quinn began a year of study at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München in Germany. He stayed in the position until 1922. In 1899, Quinn published a book of short stories called Pennsylvania Stories through the Penn Publishing Company. The work was illustrated by Frederick Foster Lincoln, a student at the University of Pennsylvania.

In 1927, he wrote a two volume work titled History of the American Dramas. Similar views were offered by Hardin Craig, who wrote that "he has brought into the field of Poe biography excellent talent and sound scholarship and has devoted them to the purification of the record".

In 1951, he edited a collection called The Literature of the American People. He was honored the following year by the Athenaeum of Philadelphia for the work.

Personal life Quinn was married to Helen McKee. Their son James H. Quinn was principal of Episcopal Academy in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. Their daughter Kathleen C. Quinn was director of drama at the University of Pennsylvania. Their other children include a son named Arthur H. Quinn Jr. and two more daughters.

In 1960, Quinn lived in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania. He died at Lankenau Hospital in Wynnewood on October 16, 1960.

Awards and honors Honorary Doctor of Letters from Saint Joseph's University (1918)