Marshall Terry to receive SMU Literati Award
The SMU Libraries Literati Award will honor author and English Professor Emeritus Marshall Terry and 10 Haute young authors.
DALLAS (SMU) – Marshall Terry, the emeritus professor and alumnus affectionately known as “Mr. SMU,” will be honored with the Friends of the SMU Libraries Literati Award at the Tables of Content dinner on the SMU campus Saturday, March 31.
 Marshall Terry |
The presentation of Terry’s award and Tables of Content dinner will follow at 7:15 p.m., with SMU faculty members and other interesting members of the Dallas community serving as table hosts.
Table sponsorships and individual ticket purchases are available online and must be received by March 26. More information is available by calling 214-768-3225 or by emailing cruppi@smu.edu. Black tie is optional and valet parking will be available.
Michael H. Collins and Melissa A. Collins ’10 are honorary chairs for the event.
“As SMU commemorates its centennial, we decided there was no one more fitting to honor than ‘Mr. SMU’ Marshall Terry,” said Amy Carver, director of Friends of the Library. “His legacy as a writer, teacher and mentor to generations of writers is just one of the many reasons we chose to honor him with the Literati Award this year.”
Terry, E.A. Lilly Distinguished Professor Emeritus of English in Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, helped President Willis M. Tate write SMU’s 1963 Master Plan, which lay the foundation for the Strategic Plan guiding the University today.
Terry earned Bachelor’s (’ 53) and Master ‘s degrees (’54) from SMU. He introduced the creative writing specialty into the English major, served twice as chair of the English Department, founded the nationally recognized SMU Litfest and has directed SMU programs in Madrid, Oxford and Taos. He also served as Faculty Senate president and associate provost for undergraduate education.
His latest book, Loving U: The Story of a Love Affair (And Some Lover’s Quarrels), is an affectionate narrative of Terry’s involvement with SMU over six decades, told with characteristic wit and wisdom. “His life’s work is inextricably bound up in the history of SMU, and his memoir provides us with a valuable perspective on SMU’s past," said Russell L. Martin III, director of SMU’s DeGolyer Library, which published the book in late 2011.
The Literati Award was created by the Friends of the SMU Libraries in 2010 to honor the 40th anniversary of the founding of the organization, to celebrate the power of the written word and to recognize significant achievements in creativity. The Friends of the SMU Libraries is an organization dedicated to promoting and enriching the resources, services and operations of the eleven SMU libraries. In 40 years, the Friends have funded more than $750,000 in library materials and services.
The 2011 Literati award went to former First Lady and SMU alumna Laura Bush ‘68 and the 2010 award honored James V. Hart ’69, noted screenwriter and author.
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