ABOUT US
The Thornton Wilder Society has the twofold purpose of supporting efforts which expand the literary legacy of Thornton Wilder and of encouraging projects which emphasize the timeless importance of literature and drama to world culture.
The Thornton Wilder Society appeals to anyone who has an interest in the life and works of Thornton Wilder. The Society is international in its scope, attracting Wilder fans, scholars, critics, educators and theatrical professionals and amateurs from all over the world. The Society, in short, is of interest to all who love Wilder, his work, and his belief in the importance of art as a sustaining influence in the world.
The Thornton Wilder Society publishes a newsletter and periodic bulletins containing articles about Wilder's life and work; new materials about Wilder available solely to the Society; and a calendar of events listing productions of Wilder's plays around the country and world, as well as conferences and publications of interest to Wilder fans. The Society will also sponsor an Annual Meeting, maintain a Web site, and develop educational materials for schools. Finally, the Society will provide an international registry service for scholars as well as for the professionals and amateurs who produce Wilder's plays and operas. The Society anticipates coordinating special events with other organizations, putting Wilder's work into a broader context.
The Society expects that its members will offer suggestions on its plans, bringing their ideas and knowledge to the Society as it develops.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND ADVISORY BOARD
The Board of Directors has eleven members: Jackson R. Bryer, Professor of English, University of Maryland (president); Michael Greenwald CPA, Managing Director, UHY Advisors/NYC (treasurer); John P. McIntyre S. J., writer-in-residence, Saint Mary's Hall, Boston College (secretary); J. D. McClatchy, poet, essayist, and editor of The Yale Review; Penelope Niven, biographer; Michael Parker, Professor of English, United States Naval Academy; Joseph Roach, Charles C. and Dorathea S. Dilley Professor of Theater and English, Yale University; Susan D. Thomas, founding Executive Director of the Society; Christopher Wheatley, Ordinary Professor of English, Catholic University of America; and Steve Winchell, retired marketing executive. Tappan Wilder, Thornton Wilder's nephew and literary executor, is Honorary Chairman of the Society. An Advisory Board of distinguished figures representing the varying accomplishments of Thornton Wilder in the field of arts and letters aid and advise the Society. These Honorary Directors are Edward Albee, John Guare, A. R. Gurney, John Lahr, Irene Lewis, Donald Margulies, David McCullough, Marian Seldes, Tazewell Thompson, John Updike, and Sam Waterston.
MANAGEMENT
Lincoln Konkle, Professor of English, The College of New Jersey, is the Society's Executive Director. He holds a B.S. from Indiana University, an M.A. from Kansas State University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He publishes on Thornton Wilder and other American writers, and teaches courses in dramatic literature. Ashley Gallagher, English Major at TCNJ, is the Student Assistant to the Executive Director.
GIFTS
The Thornton Wilder Society is a non-profit organization incorporated in Washington, D.C. (EIN and non-profit status number is 52-2276594.) Grossberg, Yochelson, Fox & Beyda, LLP, a D.C. law firm, serves as counsel to the Society.
The Society's address is The College of New Jersey, P.O. Box 7718, Ewing, NJ 08628-0718 and phone number (609) 771-2346. For more information, send email to wilder@tcnj.edu.
