Brian Wilson writes from Seoul, South Korea. Like Merton, he was an alumnus of Columbia University. He read «Seven Storey Mountain» in 1955 and was a fan of many of Merton's other books. After completing a Master's degree in anthropology from Stanford University in 1959, he took a job teaching English at the Foreign Language College of Korea. Appalled by conditions in the country, especially the plight of children, he began work to help Korean children.
J. F. Yañez writes from Universitas, a company of literary agents from Barcelona, Spain.
Alfred F. Young was a history professor at Northwestern University. He co-signs the letter with another history professor, Christopher Lasch, of Northern Illinois University in Dekalb, Illinois.
Peggy Young writes on behalf of Pantheon Books, a division of Random House, in New York.
June Yungblut is a Quaker and scholar with graduate degrees from Yale and Emory. Her ancestry with the Society of Friends (Quakers) dates back to Thomas Fitzwater, who came to America aboard the Welcome alongside William Penn. At the time of writing to Merton, she was co-director of the Quaker House in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband John Yungblut. She and her husband were involved in the Civil Rights Movement and were friends of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King. June Yungblut attempted to arrange a retreat for Martin Luther King, Jr. at Gethsemani Abbey; however, King was not able to come because of the situation in Memphis which culminated in his assassination. (Source: «The Hidden Ground of Love», p. 635.)
Willy Eurlings is chairperson of the Mertonvrienden, the Dutch-speaking Merton Society from Flanders and the Netherlands.
Fr. Mihael Cukovečki was a Franciscan priest from Slavonski Brod Monastery in Yugoslavia (now in Croatia).
Dame Hildelith Cumming (born Barbara Theresa Cumming) was publisher and head printer at Stanbrook Abbey Press of the Benedictine nuns of Stanbrook Abbey in Callow End, Worcester, England. She was a convert to Catholicism. Besides her great success in raising the prestige of the press in her long tenure from 1956-1991, she was known as a fine musician and had published liturgical music.
Joseph E. Cunneen was Director of the Religious Department of Holt, Rinehart and Winston Publishers at the time of correspondence with Merton. He and his wife, Sally Cunneen, were the founding editors of the quarterly review, «Cross Currents», which published a number of Merton's essays. He writes from New York.
John Cushman was with the Translation Rights Department with Curtis Brown.
Br. Damian was a Passionist religious and editor of «Brothers' Newsletter», a quarterly publication for religious brothers of various congregations.
Guy Davenport was a professor of literature at University of Kentucky and author of literary essays, short stories and poetry. He visited Merton's hermitage in 1967 (source: «The Courage for Truth», p. 251).
Dr. Louis de Crenascol was director of the Art Department at Seton Hall University in New Jersey.
Dominique de Menil (wife of John de Menil [Jean Marie Joseph Menu de Menil]) writes from Houston, Texas. A prominent oil family, the de Menils collected one of the largest and most important American collections of art. They also devoted much of their later lives to ecumenism. The Menil Collection and the Rothko Chapel are testaments to their legacy in the arts and in ecumenism.
According to a note to handwritten on one of the letters, Randy de Trinis, known at Gethsemani as Sebastian, entered Gethsemani in 1955, made simple profession in 1957, and left the monastery on June 9, 1959. He later writes from St. Joseph's Priory in Somerset, Ohio. In his last cards, he speaks of a desire to enter Christ in the Desert, a Benedictine monastery in New Mexico.
Abbot Francis De Croix was at the Cistercian Abbey in Frattocchie, Italy, of the Madonna del SS. Sacramento.
Paula Deitz was associate editor for «The Hudson Review» in New York.
Fr. Basil DePinto was a Benedictine priest at Mount Saviour Monastery in Pine City, New York, and took over as editor of «Monastic Studies» from Brendan Collins. DePinto was a former monk of Gethsemani. He later left the Benedictines but remained a priest, serving in Rhode Island and California.
One of the most prominent woman poets of the Beat movement early in her life as poet, Di Prima later co-founded the literary magazine «The Floating Bear» with Imamu Amiri Baraka (LeRoi Jones), which was published throughout the sixties and is "the bear" to which Merton refers in his letter.
Fr. Michael Dickey was writing from St. Anselm's Priory in Washington, D.C., on behalf of «The American Benedictine Review».
Fr. Leo Diekmann was a Benedictine priest and editor of «Worship», "A review devoted to the Liturgical Apostolate", published at the Liturgical Press of St. John's Abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota. Besides the subject of liturgical renewal, he wrote to Merton concerning the ecumenical movement and changes to the monastic life after the Second Vatican Council. He was also involved in civil rights marches in the 1960's and had later supported the full ministry of women in the Catholic Church.
Christopher Dixon was editor of «The Oakhamian» in 1954, a magazine about Oakham School in England, where Merton had completed his pre-collegiate education. Merton was editor of the same publication in 1931.
Catherine de Hueck Doherty, also referred to as "The Baroness" because of her marriage to Russian noble Baron Boris de Hueck, fled after the Soviet revolution into Canada. Having lost everything, she went from financial struggle and a failed marriage to rebuilding her fortunes by the end of the 1920's. However, wealth did not bring her fulfillment and she decided to give away her money and work among the poor in 1930. She established the first Friendship House in Toronto and later in the 1930's created one in New York's Harlem. After marrying Eddie Doherty in 1943, they founded Madonna House in rural Ontario, a place of retreat and lay apostolate training. Merton heard her speak at St. Bonaventure College while teaching there and felt inspired to come to Harlem and work among the poor in 1941. By the end of that year, he had decided on a vocation as a Trappist at Gethsemani, but remained in touch with Doherty. There is currently a cause for canonization of Doherty. (Source: «The Hidden Ground of Love», p. 3.)
Sr. Dolorita was a Sister of Loretto from Nerinx, Kentucky.
Mr. Donn (there is no first name mentioned) sent Merton a copy of the quarterly publication «Israel's Anchorage: The Voice of Messianic Judaism».
Jim Douglass is known for his theological writing and his activism in the area of non-violent resistance to war and especially nuclear arms. He was a friend of Daniel Berrigan and Dorothy Day. He served as a theological advisor on conscientious objection and nuclear war at the Second Vatican Council. He first met Merton while a professor at Bellarmine College in Louisville, Kentucky.
Paul A. Doyle was teaching in the Department of English at Nassau Community College in Garden City, New York. He and other colleagues were putting together an «Evelyn Waugh Newsletter».
Fr. William H. DuBay was author of the book, «The Human Church». DuBay found himself in fierce disagreement with Cardinal McIntyre over participation in civil rights protests. DuBay advocated Church involvement in the crusade for equal rights by marches and protests, but the Cardinal thought it was not right to be involved in this kind of public display. In 1966, he published his book, which brought to question many of the current hierarchical structures of the Church and advocated priest forming unions. In addition, it addressed the secular versus the Christian ethic. Not having approved the book through the official archdiocesan channels, he was soon forbidden to perform his priestly functions. Merton agreed with DuBay on many of his points, but did not think priests organizing a union would be as effective as informal networks to accomplish the same goals.
Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Irene Dunne rose to prominence as a film actress and was known as the "First Lady of Hollywood". She played starring roles alongside Carey Grant among others and was nominated for five Academy Awards, notably «Cimmarron», «The Awful Truth», and «I Remember Mama». She was known as a reserved person who did not like to give interviews. She devoted her later life to charity and served as a special delegate to the United Nations. In 1965, Bellarmine College awarded Dunne with the colleges highest honor, the Bellarmine Medal. Dunne was a Catholic, and Monsignor Horrigan, Bellarmine president, gave her some signed books by Merton. She wrote to him telling how she appreciated them. Merton responded, saying "I in my turn want to thank you for the joy I can remember, in the days when I used to go to the movies, when I used to listen to your lovely voice and enjoy your pictures."
Bill Dwyer was an attorney and one of the original members considered for the Merton Legacy Trust.
Fr. Edmond was a Trappist monk from the Abbey of Achel in Belgium.
Russell Edson is a poet from Connecticut who appeared in Merton's second edition of «Monks Pond».
John Egerton was writing on behalf of the «Southern Education Report».
In Monsignor John Tracy Ellis' biographical note in «The Hidden Ground of Love», William H. Shannon states that "Ellis may well be called the dean of American Catholic historians (The Hidden Ground of Love, p. 174). He was professor at Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., while in correspondence with Merton.
Joseph Engelberg is professor emeritus of the School of Medicine at University of Kentucky in Lexington. While writing to Merton, he was an associate professor wrote on behalf of the Committee on Peace Education and Research.
Omer Englebert, originally from Belgium, was the author of biographies of Francis of Assisi, Damien of Molokai, Junípero Serra and others. He writes to Merton from Mexico.
Jack Ericson was special collections curator at the University of Syracuse in New York. He convinced Merton to send some of his papers to their collection of distinguished writers.
Morris L. Ernst was of the well-known New York law firm of Greenbaum, Wolff and Ernst. He was putting together a book of reminiscences of favorite teachers by well-known figures.
Clayton Eshleman is a poet now living in Ypsilanti, Michigan. He was born in Indianapolis in 1935. In college he became interested in world poetry, and learned Spanish in order to read and translate the works of Cesar Vallejo and Pablo Neruda and to . He first wrote to Merton while in Kyoto where he was teaching English, responding to a letter of Merton's printed in «El Corno Emplumado». Later, he met Merton after having returned to Indiana as a professor at University of Indiana. He came for a visit with his wife on April 23, 1965. Eshleman was not very happy in Indiana and moved to Peru later in 1965. Some unfortunate events happened in Peru and he would only stay there a year; however, he became very socially involved after having witness the slums of Lima. He then moved to New York and founded the literary magazine «Caterpillar» in 1967. (Source: "A Brief Biography and Complete CV". Clayton Eshleman website. Accessed 2004/12/06. ‹http://www.claytoneshleman.com/bio.html›.)
Dr. Julio Endara was President of Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana in Quito, Ecuador. Merton inquires about commissioning Jaime Andrade for a sculpture of the Virgin Mary.
Sr. Eulogia was a Franciscan at St. Francis Convent in Joliet, Illinois.
Francis Fabinski was a 10 year old boy who sends a bookmark with a quote from Duns Scotus and asks for a prayer for his confirmation and for his brother who is considering the priesthood.
Marie Faugeron writes on behalf of the «Action Civique Non-Violent» from St-Didier-au-Mt-d'Or in France.
Lawrence Ferlinghetti was editor and publisher of City Lights Books in San Francisco that was one of the most prominent publications of the beat movement in San Francisco. He wrote poetry and plays as well as running a bookstore, City Lights, the same name as the publishing house. Merton and Ferlinghetti met in person in San Francisco on May 16, 1968. (Source: «The Courage for Truth», p. 267.)
Thomas Hornsby Ferril was an acclaimed poet of the Rocky Mountains, born and living the rest of his years in Denver, Colorado.
Sidney Feshbach writes from the Department of English at the State University of New York at Stony Brook.