Mel Yoken

Mel B. Yoken (born 1939) is an American academic and professor of French language and literature. He served as a professor at University of Massachusetts Dartmouth from 1966 until his retirement, when he received the title of Chancellor Professor Emeritus. Yoken has maintained correspondence with authors, politicians, and cultural figures, building a collection of letters housed at Brown University. In 2018, he received the Legion of Honor from France.

Early life and education Yoken was born in 1939 in Fall River, Massachusetts, to Albert Benjamin Yoken and Sylvia White. He graduated from B.M.C. Durfee High School in Fall River in 1956. During his 52-year association with the institution, he taught French language and literature and served as faculty advisor to The French Club, Table Française, and the Canadian Studies Program.

Letter collection Yoken has assembled a collection of correspondence with various individuals from around the world. The collection began during his studies at Brown University in the 1960s, when he started writing letters to authors whose works he was studying. His first correspondence was with French author Jules Romains regarding his play "Knock, ou le triomphe de la médicine."

Over time, Yoken's correspondents expanded to include authors, politicians, actors, lawyers, judges, business leaders, military officers, media personalities, religious leaders, scientists, doctors, musicians, artists, and educators. which are housed at Brown University's John Hay Library, with some portions also held at UMass Dartmouth. The Letters of Robert Molloy, 1971-1977 (1989) Entretiens Québécois II (1990) Stowell Goding and France (1993) Entretiens Québécois III (1999) Breakthrough: Essays and Vignettes in Honor of John A. Rassias (2007)

He has also authored numerous articles in American, French, and Québécois publications.

Honors and awards Yoken has received numerous awards and honors throughout his career, including:

Legion of Honor (2018) - France's highest distinction, presented by Consul General of France Valery Freland on behalf of French President Emmanuel Macron for his lifetime work in French language and literature Officer in the Order of Academic Palms (Ordre des Palmes académiques) - awarded by the French government Médaille de Vermeil du Rayonnement de la Langue Française - from the French Academy Robert Ludwig National Distinguished Leadership Award in Foreign Languages - from the New York State Foreign Language Association Mayoral citation for outstanding cultural achievements in Fall River Distinguished Alumnus Awards from B.M.C. Durfee High School and the University of Massachusetts Amherst Excellence in Teaching Awards at UMass Dartmouth

He has been elected Honorary Life Member in several organizations, including the Academy of American Poets, Fall River and New Bedford Public Libraries, Claire T. Carney Library Associates, American Association of Teachers of French (AATF), and Modern Language Association (MLA).

Personal life Yoken met his wife, Cindy, at an American Association of French Teachers conference. They have been married since 1976. Cindy Yoken is also a French teacher and collaborated with her husband on the Summer Language Institute at UMass Dartmouth.

Beyond his academic work, Yoken has had a longstanding involvement in radio broadcasting. Beginning in the 1950s, he hosted "Teen Party" on WALE in Fall River during his high school years. He later co-hosted a weekly show with Jean Caya Bancroft on WALE and subsequently WBSM (New Bedford), appearing approximately 450 times through 2005.