American poet and former professor (born 1934)
Walter Robert McDonald (born July 18, 1934, died January 22, 2022, in Lubbock , Texas ) was an American poet and former professor .[1] [2] [3] [4] He served as Poet Laureate of Texas in 2001. In May 2002, he retired from Texas Tech University as "Paul Whitfield Horn Professor of English " and "Poet in Residence".
Career
After graduating from Texas Technological College and service in the United States Air Force in Vietnam, McDonald received a PhD from the University of Iowa .
McDonald's 23 books of poetry —published by Harper & Row (now HarperCollins) and university presses such as Ohio State; Notre Dame; Massachusetts; Pittsburgh; Texas Christian; Texas Tech—include Faith Is A Radical Master, 'Night Landing,' and A Thousand Miles of Stars .[5] Before joining the faculty at Texas Tech University, he was a pilot in the Air Force and also taught at the Air Force Academy .
Some of his experiences as a pilot are reflected in his verses.
Poets Laureate of Texas
1932-1961
Judd Mortimer Lewis (1932-1934)
Aline T. Michaelis (1934-1936)
Grace Noll Crowell (1936-1939)
Lexie Dean Robertson (1939-1941)
Nancy Richey Ranson (1941-1943)
Dollilee Davis Smith (1943-1945)
David Riley Russell (1945-1947)
Aline B. Carter (1947-1949)
Carlos Ashley (1949-1951)
Arthur M. Sampley (1951-1953)
Mildred Lindsey Raiborn (1953-1955)
Pierre Bernard Hill (1955-1957)
Margaret Royalty Edwards (1957-1959)
J. V. Chandler (1959-1961)
Lorena Simon (1961)
1962-1989
Marvin Davis Winsett (1962)
Gwendolyn Bennett Pappas (1963)
Jenny Lind Porter (1964-1965)
Bessie Maas Rowe (1966)
William. E. Bard (1967)
Kathryn Henry Harris (1968)
Anne B. Marely (1969-1970)
Robby K. Mitchell (1970-1971)
Terry Fontenot (poet) (1971-1972)
Mrs. Clark Gresham (1972-1973)
Violette Newton (1973-1974)
Lila Todd O'Neil (1974-1975)
Ethel Osborn Hill (1975-1976)
Florice Stripling Jeffers (1976-1977)
Ruth Carruth (1977-1978)
Patsy Stodghill (1978-1979)
Dorothy B. Elfstroman (1979-1980)
Weems S. Dykes (1980-1981)
William D. Barney (1982-1983)
Ruth E. Reuther (1987-1988)
Vassar Miller (1988-1989)
1993-present
Authority control databases
International National Other