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James Olney

Birth	:	1934
Death	:	4 Feb 2015 Irvine, Orange County, California, USA
Burial	:	Poland Township Cemetery, Marathon, Buena Vista County, USA
Coordinate	:	42.8610992, -94.9916992
Description	:	James Olney died February 4, 2015, in Irvine, California. He had retired in 2003 from LSU, where for twenty years he co-edited the Southern Review. As Voorhies Professor of English, James achieved distinction in several fields, including African Literature, African American Literature, and Modern Poetry. He was the veritable founder of modern autobiography studies, to which he contributed the ground-breaking books Metaphors of Self (1972) and Memory and Narrative (1999), the latter a winner of the Christian Gauss Award from Phi Beta Kappa. With co-editor Lewis Simpson he organized a 1985 conference attended by Cleanth Brooks and Robert Penn Warren... Read More	James Olney died February 4, 2015, in Irvine, California. He had retired in 2003 from LSU, where for twenty years he co-edited the Southern Review. As Voorhies Professor of English, James achieved distinction in several fields, including African Literature, African American Literature, and Modern Poetry. He was the veritable founder of modern autobiography studies, to which he contributed the ground-breaking books Metaphors of Self (1972) and Memory and Narrative (1999), the latter a winner of the Christian Gauss Award from Phi Beta Kappa. With co-editor Lewis Simpson he organized a 1985 conference attended by Cleanth Brooks and Robert Penn Warren that celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the Southern Review. James was a beloved graduate mentor to many doctoral students while at LSU, and he was cherished in the English Department as a colleague of generosity, integrity, and wide-ranging intellect. He leaves behind his wife Laura O'Connor, a professor of English at the University of California, Irvine; a daughter, Marina, 15; and from a prior marriage, a son, Nathan, 39, who works in the film industry in New Orleans. Born July 12, 1933, James grew up in Marathon, Iowa. He received his BA from the University of Iowa and his Ph.D. in English from Columbia University in 1963. He taught for four years at Drake University and then accepted a Fulbright appointment in Liberia, which he extended into a two-year stay. That experience inspired his book Tell Me Africa (1973) and led to a faculty appointment at North Carolina Central University in Durham. During his tenure at NCCU, James edited Autobiography: Essays Theoretical and Critical (1980) and authored a book on William Butler Yeats and Carl Jung titled The Rhizome and the Flower (1980). After coming to LSU, he wrote or edited eight more books on topics from T. S. Eliot to African American literature. In recognition of his work on French autobiography, he held a joint appointment at LSU as a Professor of French and Italian. His other honors included fellowships from the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the National Humanities Center. In 2000 he also received the LSU Distinguished Research Master Award, and culminating his brilliant career, he was elected the following year to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. James cared deeply about equality and devoted much of his career to breaking down racial and cultural prejudices. A man of great achievement and greater modesty, he was an example to all who knew him. His burial will take place later this month in his Iowa hometown. To honor his memory, friends may contribute (through the LSU Foundation) to the Southern Review or to the Literary Circle of LSU, which underwrites the annual James Olney Distinguished Dissertation Award.

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is James Olney's memorial?
James Olney's memorial is located at: Poland Township Cemetery, Marathon, Buena Vista County, USA.
When did James Olney death?
James Olney death on 4 Feb 2015 in Irvine, Orange County, California, USA
Where are the coordinates of the James Olney's memorial?
Latitude: 42.8610992
Longitude: -94.9916992

Family Members:

Parent

Norris Goodrich Olney Sr.

(1885 - 1978)

Doris Beatrice Hawk Olney

(1899 - 1997)

Siblings

Richard Nathan Olney

(1926 - 1926)

Margaret Olney McBride

(1928 - 2015)

Norris Goodrich Olney Jr.

(1930 - 2016)

John Olney

(1931 - 2015)

Frances Olney Miller

(1937 - 1977)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Poland Township Cemetery
Marathon, Buena Vista County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8610992, -94.9916992

2. Smith Cemetery
Albert City, Buena Vista County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8142014, -94.9925003

3. Garton Family Cemetery
Marathon, Buena Vista County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8297000, -94.9334500

4. Swan Lake Cemetery
Laurens, Pocahontas County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8511009, -94.8925018

5. Fairfield Cemetery
Albert City, Buena Vista County, USA
Coordinate: 42.7783012, -94.9692001

6. Osborn Cemetery
Webb, Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9346918, -95.0608244

7. Burr Oak Cemetery
Herdland Township, Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9235992, -95.0907974

8. Garfield Township Cemetery
Webb, Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9538994, -94.9392014

9. Saint Josephs Cemetery
Sioux Rapids, Buena Vista County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8883018, -95.1324997

10. Calvary Cemetery
Laurens, Pocahontas County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8403015, -94.8368988

11. Lone Tree Cemetery
Sioux Rapids, Buena Vista County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8819008, -95.1492004

12. Laurens Cemetery
Laurens, Pocahontas County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8438988, -94.8330994

13. Marshall Cemetery
Pocahontas County, USA
Coordinate: 42.7633018, -94.8930969

14. Saint John's Lutheran Cemetery
Albert City, Buena Vista County, USA
Coordinate: 42.7200920, -94.9947630

15. Fanny Fern Cemetery
Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9530983, -95.1607971

16. Saint Johns Church Of Christ Cemetery
Storm Lake, Buena Vista County, USA
Coordinate: 42.7108002, -95.0428009

17. Lincoln Township Cemetery
Buena Vista County, USA
Coordinate: 42.7413000, -95.1282000

18. Zion Lutheran Cemetery
Storm Lake, Buena Vista County, USA
Coordinate: 42.7136002, -95.0650024

19. Little Sioux Valley Cemetery
Rembrandt, Buena Vista County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8375015, -95.2074966

20. Liberty Cemetery
Greenville, Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9897003, -95.1417007

21. Barnes Township Cemetery
Linn Grove, Buena Vista County, USA
Coordinate: 42.8880997, -95.2397003

22. Logan Township Cemetery
Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 43.0489006, -94.9747009

23. Rosehill Cemetery
Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 43.0368996, -95.0919037

24. Douglas Township Cemetery
Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9255981, -95.2450027