Brander Matthews (1852-1929) was among the most influential American scholars and literary critics of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. A professor of dramatic literature at Columbia University (initially Columbia College) from 1892 to 1924, his specialty was the drama. His books such as French Dramatists of the Nineteenth Century (1881), The Development of the Drama (1903), and Shakespere As a Playwright (1913) helped establish him as, arguably, the leading American authority in his field. Matthews's literary taste was, however, eclectic, and during his long career he published widely on American and British authors. His An Introduction to the Study of American Literature, initially publis

This article in full comprises 192 words but only the first 150 or so words are available to non-members.

All our articles have been written recently by experts in their field, more than 95% of them university professors. To read about membership, please click here.

First published 28 October 2000

Citation: Oliver, Lawrence. "Brander Matthews". The Literary Encyclopedia. 28 October 2000.
[http://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=2995, accessed 9 February 2010.]