Statement from National Endowment for the Humanities Chairman William Adams on the Death of Literary Critic M.H. Abrams

“With the passing of M.H. Abrams, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the academic community have lost an exceptional scholar and literary critic. I had the great honor of meeting Abrams when he was recognized at the White House with a 2013 National Humanities Medal for expanding our understanding of the Romantic tradition and broadening the study of literature. For decades, Abrams has influenced generations of students through his landmark works on the changing modes and purposes of artistic expression within the Western canon. This legacy will continue through that staple of college literature classes—the Norton Anthology.”