William Worthen Appleton

Biographical Note
William Worthen Appleton, born December 31 1915 in New York received his Masters 1939 and Ph. D. 1949 from Columbia University after graduating with a BA from Harvard University in 1938. He taught at Columbia from 1941 until 1977 having been appointed Professor Emeritus in 1976. His area of interest was early English Theater as evidenced by the several books he wrote and edited including (1960). and In 1969, Professor Appleton donated this collection of 44 letters to the Rare Book and Manuscript Library to augment the performing arts holdings of the Brander Matthews Collection. The letters relate for the most part to early 19th century British theater and in the words of Professor Appleton provide 'a sort of cross-section of rather typical professional theatrical correspondence of that era.