author
Samuel J. (Samuel John) Sackett
1928–2018
A literary scholar, folklorist, and writer, he spent decades documenting the voices, songs, stories, and traditions of Kansas and the American West. His work blends academic curiosity with a deep affection for the people and places behind the folklore.
2 Audiobooks
The Last Plunge
by Samuel J. (Samuel John) Sackett
The Missing Disclaimer
by Samuel J. (Samuel John) Sackett
About the author
Born in Redlands, California, in 1928, Samuel John Sackett earned degrees from the University of Redlands and a Ph.D. in English from UCLA. His academic interests included Neoclassical English literature and the history of literary criticism, but his career also carried him far beyond the classroom.
Sackett taught English at Fort Hays State University for 23 years and helped found the Kansas Folklore Society. With William E. Koch, he co-edited Kansas Folklore, while his own research explored folk music, oral traditions, regional speech, immigrant memories, homesteading, and everyday life across Kansas and the Great Plains.
Between 1954 and 1977, Sackett and his graduate assistants recorded interviews with community members, preserving an important collection of regional voices. He continued to be identified with scholarship, folklore, and writing until his death on March 29, 2018, at age 90.