Frost's legacy lives on at 'U'

Students in the 1920s were fortunate to have poet Robert Frost on campus. Students in 1999 - although they may not be aware of it - also are blessed with Frost's presence, too. Students in the next century may even be found in his house, the Robert Frost Poetry House, which is tentatively planned to be built on campus in the coming years.

The poet, who died in 1963, returned in spirit to campus in December 1997 when Frost's family donated his literary archives.

Books written by Frost, many of them signed and dedicated to family members, and books that were in his personal library now reside in the Special Collections Library. The University has become a "handful of significant repositories of Frost collect

JESSICA JOHNSON/Daily A bust, letter and various photos from the Robert Frost collection are on

ions," said Brenda Johnson, interim associate director of the University Library System.

Other memorabilia showcased in the special collection include letters Frost wrote to family members and books he received from friends, including the valuable "Congo and Other Poems" from poet Vachel Lindsay. First-day-of-issue stamps and Christmas cards written by Frost are also a part of the collection.

Curator for the Humanities in the Special Collection Library Kathryn Beam said the collections' "strength lies in the manuscripts and photographs."

Other documents that are now available to the public may answer why the poet actually left Amherst College, where he was a professor.

University President Lee Bollinger has considered building a Robert Frost Poetry House, describing the idea as "a comfortable place where students can read poetry to each other as well as to their teachers and guests," according to a press release.

Traveler's tale

display at the University's Special Collections Library.

04-13-99