1879–1951

Introduction

portrait

Born: Oc­to­ber 5, 1879, New York Ci­ty.

Died: June 2, 1951, New York.

Buried: Fern­cliff Ce­me­te­ry and Mau­so­le­um, Harts­dale, New York.

Biography

John was the son of James Mor­ris­on Ers­kine and Eli­za Jane Hol­lings­worth.

He mar­ried twice, to Paul­ine Ives (1910) and Hel­en Wor­den (1946). He was the grand­fa­ther of ac­tress Lind­say Crouse, and great-grand­fa­ther of act­ress Zo­sia Ma­met.

He grew up in Wee­hawk­en, New Jer­sey, and was edu­cat­ed at Co­lum­bia Un­iversity (BA, 1900, MA 1901, PhD 1903 and DLitt 1929). He al­so earned a DLitt de­gree from Am­herst in 1923.

He was an Eng­lish pro­fess­or at Am­herst College, Am­herst, Mas­sa­chu­setts (1903–09), then a pro­fess­or of li­te­ra­ture at Co­lum­bia Uni­ver­si­ty, New York Ci­ty (1909–37).

He served as the first pre­si­dent of the Juil­li­ard School of Mu­sic (1928–37), and was a di­rect­or for the Me­tro­po­li­tan Ope­ra.

Sources

Music