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1 Education  





2 Professional life  





3 Legacy  





4 Bibliography  





5 References  





6 External links  














Max Ehrmann






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Coordinates: 39°2835N 87°2052W / 39.476398°N 87.347801°W / 39.476398; -87.347801
 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 


Max Ehrmann
Born(1872-09-26)September 26, 1872
DiedSeptember 9, 1945(1945-09-09) (aged 72)
Terre Haute, Indiana, U.S.
Resting placeHighland Lawn Cemetery, Terre Haute, Indiana
39°28′35N 87°20′52W / 39.476398°N 87.347801°W / 39.476398; -87.347801
Alma materDePauw University
Harvard University
Occupation(s)Attorney, businessman
Known forProse poem "Desiderata" (1927)
SpouseBertha Pratt King Ehrmann
Notes

[1][2]

Max Ehrmann (September 26, 1872 – September 9, 1945) was an American writer, poet, and attorney from Terre Haute, Indiana, widely known for his 1927 prose poem "Desiderata" (Latin: "things desired"). He often wrote on spiritual themes.

Education[edit]

Ehrmann was of German descent; both his parents emigrated from Bavaria to the United States in the 1840s. Young Ehrmann was educated at the Terre Haute Fourth District School and the German Methodist Church.

He received a degree in English from DePauw UniversityinGreencastle, Indiana, which he attended from 1890 to 1894. While there, he was a member of Delta Tau Delta's Beta Beta chapter[3] and was editor of the school newspaper, Depauw Weekly.[2]

Ehrmann then studied philosophy and law at Harvard University, where he was editor of Delta Tau Delta's national magazine The Rainbow, circa 1896.[4]

Professional life[edit]

Ehrmann returned to his hometown of Terre Haute, Indiana, in 1898 to practice law. He was a deputy state's attorneyinVigo County, Indiana, for two years. Subsequently, he worked in his family's meatpacking business and in the overalls manufacturing industry (Ehrmann Manufacturing Co.)[5] At age 40, Ehrmann left the business to write. At age 55, he wrote Desiderata, which achieved fame only after his death.[1][6]

Legacy[edit]

Ehrmann was awarded Doctor of Letters honorary degree from DePauw University in about 1937.[7] He was also elected to the Delta Tau Delta Distinguished Service Chapter, the fraternity's highest alumni award.[3]

Ehrmann died in 1945 and is buried in Highland Lawn Cemetery in Terre Haute, Indiana.

In 2010 the city honored Ehrmann with a life-size bronze statue by sculptor Bill Wolfe. He is depicted sitting on a downtown bench, pen in hand, with a notebook in his lap. "Desiderata" is engraved on a plaque next to the statue and lines from the poem are embedded in the walkway. The sculpture is in the collection of Art Spaces, Inc. – Wabash Valley Outdoor Sculpture Collection.[8] Art Spaces also holds an annual Max Ehrmann Poetry Competition.[9]

Bibliography[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Drummy, Deborah Curtis (March 1, 1992). "Historical Treasure Article: Terre Haute writer-philosopher remembered". Vigo County Historical Society. Indiana State University. Archived from the original on June 27, 2009. Retrieved March 29, 2009.
  • ^ a b "Max Ehrmann Pamphlets – Biography". Terre Haute, Indiana: Vigo County Public Library. Retrieved March 29, 2009.
  • ^ a b "Alumni: Subpage – Distinguished Service Chapter Citation". Delta Tau Delta. Archived from the original on June 27, 2009. Retrieved March 30, 2009. Max Ehrmann, Beta Beta (DePauw), 1894
  • ^ a b Matthews, James Newton (1897). "Deltas in Literature". The Rainbow of the Delta Tau Delta. (DTK Beta Upsilon 1878). Delta Tau Delta Fraternity. pp. 298–299. Retrieved March 30, 2009. V. 21. Original from the New York Public Library. Digitized October 25, 2006.
  • ^ McCormick, Mike (September 8, 2002). "Idealist, philosopher, 'word technician' Max Ehrmann a Terre Haute treasure". Terre Haute Tribune Star. Archived from the original on November 23, 2008. Retrieved November 22, 2014.
  • ^ Katz, Barbara J. (November 27, 1977). "Popular Prose-Poem is No Work of the Ages. 'Desiderata': a Product of an Obscure Lawyer" (Fee). Washington Post. p. 31. Retrieved March 29, 2009. Reproduced by Volkert Braren Archived December 26, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  • ^ a b Northwest Territory Celebration Committee, 1938 (1938). "Max Ehrmann Poet, Prophet, Philosopher" (PDF). The Wabash Valley Remembers: A Chronicle, 1787–1938 (PDF). Terre Haute. p. 52. Retrieved March 30, 2009.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  • ^ Wittmeyer, Sara (August 31, 2010). "Max Ehrmann Statue Unveiled in Terre Haute". Indiana Public Media. Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
  • ^ "2014 Max Ehrmann Poetry Competition Winners Announced". Wabash Valley Art Spaces. Archived from the original on October 12, 2014. Retrieved September 25, 2014.
  • External links[edit]


    Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Max_Ehrmann&oldid=1173948185"

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