Montagu Frank Modder (1891-1958)

Montagu Frank Modder, Visiting Professor of English at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania for the 1957-1958 academic year, was born on November 24, 1891 in Colombo, Ceylon (Sri Lanka) where his father served as a Chief Justice for the British Government. Modder received his undergraduate education from the Royal College in Ceylon and Springfield College in Massachusetts. In the midst of his studies also served with the British armed forces in the First World War. Modder went on to receive advanced degrees from Clark University (M.A.) and the University of Michigan (Ph.D.), and pursued additional graduate studies at Yale University and at Cambridge and Oxford in England.

Modder taught for five years as Professor of English at Miami (Ohio) University. He also taught at West Virginia University and the University of Michigan, although the majority of his teaching years were spent at Beloit College in Wisconsin, where he was a member of the faculty for twenty-two years (1935-1957).

Modder is best known as the author of one monograph, The Jew in the History of Literature, which has gone through numerous editions and reprintings. He was also known for his many political cartoons, which were prominently featured in The Christian Science Monitor, The Milwaukee Journal, The Capital Times (Madison, WI), The Daily News (Beloit, WI), and The Sentinel (Carlisle, PA), among other newspapers and magazines. Modder was also the author and illustrator for two manuscripts, “The Spirit of Britain” and “Pictorial Shakespeare.” These two elaborately illustrated manuscripts capture Modder's love of English literature and his talent as an amateur artist.

Montagu Frank Modder married Mary Work in 1927, and the couple raised twin daughters, Anne and Lucy. Dr. Modder passed away on May 31, 1958 at his home in Carlisle at the age of 67.