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April 26, 2006 -- University of Virginia Commonwealth
Professor and former U.S. Poet Laureate Rita Dove was among
the Class of 2006 Fellows elected to the American Academy
of Arts and Sciences. The 195 scholars include 175 new
Fellows and 20 Foreign Honorary Members recognized for
their distinguished contributions to the arts, sciences,
scholarship and public affairs. Dove and the other honorees
will be inducted into the 226-year-old academy at a ceremony
on October 7 in Cambridge, Mass.
Dove has published eight books of poetry, the most recent
being “American Smooth,” which was released
in 2004. She received the 1987 Pulitzer Prize in Poetry
for her book, “Thomas and Beulah,” making her
the second African-American poet (after Gwendolyn Brooks
in 1950) to receive the prestigious award. She also has
written a novel, “Through the Ivory Gate,” and
a book of short stories, “Fifth Sunday.” Her
play, “The Darker Face of the Earth,” had its
world premiere in 1996 at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival
and was staged at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
and the Royal National Theatre in London, among other theatres.
With her election to the academy, Dove becomes the 26th
U.Va. faculty member chosen for this honor. Past inductees
include Edgar Allan Poe Professor of Creative Writing Ann
Beattie, Edward R. Stettinius Professor of Politics William
Quandt, internationally known biochemist C. David Allis,
historian and Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences
Edward L. Ayers and Matthew Holden Jr., politics professor
emeritus.
Speaking of the Class of 2006 Fellows, Academy President
and U.Va. English professor emeritus Patricia Meyer Spacks
said, "It gives me great pleasure to welcome these
outstanding leaders in their fields to the Academy. Fellows
are selected through a highly competitive process that
recognizes individuals who have made preeminent contributions
to their disciplines and to society at large."
Election to the academy is one of the nation’s highest
honors for scholarly and creative achievement. Represented
among this year's newly elected members are more than 60
universities, a dozen corporations, as well as museums,
research institutes, media outlets and foundations. Founded
in 1780 by John Adams, James Bowdoin, John Hancock and
other scholar-patriots, the Academy has elected as Fellows
and Foreign Honorary Members the finest
minds and most influential leaders from each generation,
including George Washington, Ben Franklin, Ralph Waldo
Emerson, Albert Einstein and Winston Churchill. The current
membership includes more than 170 Nobel laureates and
50 Pulitzer Prize winners.
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