Writer, professor and historian Edgar Edgeworth MacDonald, who served
as Senior Cabell Scholar at the Virginia Commonwealth University
Libraries for more than 25 years, died Sept. 10 in Richmond. He was 94.
MacDonald specialized in Virginia history and literature and wrote extensively about Southern writers. Among his favorites was James Branch Cabell, of whom he is credited
with writing the definitive biography. He is also credited with
spearheading the movement to have VCU's James Branch Cabell Library on
the Monroe Park Campus named after the Richmond author in the 1970s.
After retiring from a 30-year teaching career at Randolph-Macon College
in Ashland in 1974, he joined VCU as an unpaid Cabell Scholar.
"For all of us on staff, Dr. MacDonald was an affable, witty and
sophisticated presence, possessed of a sharp intellect that he delighted
to use in the service of entertainment as much as scholarship," said
John E. Ulmschneider, university librarian. "He drew our admiration and
our respect, and he was always and foremost an inspiration. For our good
colleagues in Cabell Special Collections and Archives, who worked with
him and enjoyed his company nearly every day, Dr. MacDonald was a
constant companion and a good friend. They cared for him deeply."
The Richmond native's many publications included "James Branch Cabell
and Richmond-in-Virginia," "James Branch Cabell: Centennial Essays" and
"Ellen Glasgow: A Reference Guide," as well as a newsletter on Glasgow
that he edited for 10 years. MacDonald's scholarship on Cabell and Glasgow is showcased in part online in a library special collection.
He wrote for publications such as American Literature, the Southern
Literary Journal, Resources for American Literary Study and the
Mississippi Quarterly.
"As a longtime and valued member of the
James Branch Cabell Library Associates, Dr. Edgar MacDonald was a light
among the shadows. An authority on Virginia literature and genealogy,
he acted as a vital link between the present generation of readers,
students and scholars and previous literary giants," said Walter Dotts,
president of the James Branch Cabell Library Associates. "Dr.
MacDonald's biography of James Branch Cabell and his promotion of Ellen
Glasgow helped secure their places in the American literary canon. His
knowledge of the forces and the families that shaped Virginia history
helped illuminate the contemporary social and political landscape.
"Dr. MacDonald's guidance and input as a board member of the Cabell
Associates supported strategic Cabell Library initiatives and echoed his
broader community philanthropic activity. Although he avoided
recognition during his life, his effect on generations of students and
his beloved city will be felt for many years to come."
MacDonald served with the 99th Infantry Division in World War II. He
received the Purple Heart, Bronze Star and Belgian Fouragere.
During his career, he served as an English professor at Randolph-Macon
College, a Fulbright Senior Lecturer at the State University of
Leningrad and as a board member of the Library of Virginia and the James
Monroe Law Office Museum and Memorial Library in Fredericksburg. He
also served as a trustee of the James Monroe Memorial Foundation.
Quoted on the Randolph-Macon College website, R-MC Humanities Professor
M. Thomas Inge, a Randolph-Macon alumnus and former VCU professor,
remembered MacDonald fondly.
"He was the professor at
Randolph-Macon who first opened my eyes to the wide world of
literature," said Inge. "He taught a class in world literature that
reflected his own experiences traveling and studying abroad and shaped
my worldview. But he also cherished the local and taught me about
Southern writing and his own favorite, James Branch Cabell. I had the
pleasure of co-editing with him a collection of essays on Cabell. He was
one of the most erudite, widely read, witty and sophisticated men I
ever knew. His congenial presence will be missed."
"Professor
MacDonald, known for his idiosyncratic ways, had a strong and lasting
impact on his students for over three decades," said R-MC President
Robert R. Lindgren.
Among many accomplishments in a life of
letters, he was a founder of the Virginia Genealogical Society, the
Friends of the Virginia State Archives and the Ellen Glasgow Society.
MacDonald earned his bachelor's degree at VCU's precursor, Richmond
Professional Institute, and his master's degree from the University of
Richmond. He earned his doctorate from The Sorbonne, University of
Paris.
He left no immediate survivors.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, Sept. 24, at 2 p.m. at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 1214 Wilmer Ave.