Brander Matthews

Born in New Orleans in 1852, Brander Matthews became an American writer, critic, and teacher whose career reached across literature and the stage. He studied at Columbia, trained in law, but chose a literary path instead, building a reputation as an essayist, novelist, and especially a commentator on drama.

Matthews is best remembered for his long association with Columbia University, where he became the first full-time professor of dramatic literature in the United States. At a time when theater was not always treated as a serious academic field, he argued that drama deserved close study and helped give it a lasting place in university life.

Over the years he published widely on theater, fiction, and literary subjects, and was regarded as an important authority on drama in his era. He died in New York City in 1929, leaving behind a body of work that reflects both his love of performance and his role in shaping how American readers and students thought about it.