Dorris Carlson was a Zen scholar and married to the founder of the Xerox Corporation, Chester F. Carlson, who died later in 1968.
Jorge Carrera Andrade was a poet from Ecuador. He went to law school but was more interested in poetry. He had an early interest in leftist politics. During this period of correspondence with Merton, he served as ambassador to France and to Venezuela. He served as ambassador to a number of other nations during his life. Merton liked his poems and translated at least six of them into English. (Source: "Carrera Andrade, Jorge." World Authors. 1996. Wilson Biographies Plus. Online. H.W. Wilson. Bellarmine University Library, Louisville, KY. 20 Oct. 2005. ‹http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com›.)
Bruce L. Carriker writes from Prescott College in Arizona.
Hayden Carruth is owner and operator of Crow's Mark Press in Johnson, Vermont, and has won numerous awards for poetry.
Rachel Carson was a writer on ecology and a naturalist poet. She is best known for «Silent Spring», a book that raised awareness about the harmful use of pesticides like DDT.
Dom Alferio Caruana was a Maltese Benedictine monk living in Salerno, Italy, and trying to go to Malta. "Dom" is used here as a title of a professed monk and does not mean he was an abbot. Caruana's letter mentions he will be ordained to the priesthood in July of 1967.
Philip Cascia was a junior in high school at St. Thomas Seminary in Bloomfield, Connecticut.
Fr. Dave Casey mentions in his letter, written from the guest house at Gethsemani, that he has spent the past seven years in Japan after receiving a doctorate from Harvard University in Oriental Religions. He was a colleague of other Catholic experts on Buddhism like Fr. Heinrich Dumoulin, S.J., and Fr. Hugo M. Enomiya-Lassalle.
Donald J. Casey writes as Executive Editor of «World Campus» from Maryknoll, New York.
George Casey was writing from St. Brigid's Church in Lexington, Massachusetts.
Alice Kathryn Casper lived in Louisville, Kentucky at the time of correspondence with Merton.
Guido Castillo writes from Montevideo, Uruguay.
Sr. Mectildes Vilaça Castro is writing from Brazil.
Sr. Mary Catherine was with the Sister Adorers of the Precious Blood at the Monastery Precious Blood - Mount St. Agnes, in Peterborough, Ontario.
The Editorial Staff of the Catholic Action Federations was writing from Chicago, Illinois, and included: Peter Foote, John J. Hill, Lawrence Kelly, John McCudden, and Theodore C. Stone.
Fr. Patrick Catry was a Trappist monk writing on behalf of the «Bulletin de Spiritualité Monastique», which appeared in «Collectanea Cisterciensia». He writes Merton from the Abbey of Sainte-Marie-du-Mont in Godewaersvelde (Mont des Cats), France.
Joseph Caulfield is writing from the Helicon Press in Baltimore, Maryland.
Frances Cavanaugh writes from Hempstead, New York. She describes herself as "one of the nuns in modern garb teaching on university campuses."
Carlos Duelo Cavero writes from Los Angeles, spent time at Indiana University, and whose home was Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Fr. Luis Ma. Cazalou was writing from the Comunidad de la Virgen, Monasterio Porta Caeli, in Berisso, Argentina.
Sr. Cecilia was a Trappist nun of Redwoods Monastery in California and was secretary to Mother Myriam Dardenne.
Humorist, editor and publisher, Bennett Cerf was Chairman of the Board and founder of Random House publishing house in New York. Prior to founding Random House, he had co-purchased the Modern Library series. He was a fellow graduate and editor of «Jester» at Columbia University, but many years prior to Merton's arrival. He later guest starred as a panelist on the TV show "What's My Line?". (Source: "Cerf, Bennett Alfred." «Hutchinson Encyclopedia of Biography», Copyright Helicon Publishing Limited [2000]. «Biography Reference Bank». Online. H.W. Wilson. Available: ‹http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com/hww/shared/shared_main.jhtml;jsessionid=FTJAM2QJSVQCJQA3DILSFFWADUNBIIV0?_requestid=100016› 2004/07/19.)
In the introduction to her letters, Br. Patrick Hart says of Nora Chadwick that she was a professor at Cambridge University and "had written a number of books on Celtic monasticism which Merton found very attractive" (Source: «The School of Charity», p. 217).
Hervé Chaigne was writing on behalf of the bi-monthly publication «Fréres du Monde» from Bordeaux, France.
Born in India, Dr. Amiya Chakravarty was a well-traveled scholar and professor of philosophy and religion who had the opportunity to meet many great people of his time, including Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, the Indian poet Dr. Rabindranath Tagore, Albert Schweitzer, Boris Pasternak, Albert Einstein, and met Merton during his Asian journey. While in correspondence with Merton, he held professorships at Boston University, Smith College and later the State University of New York at New Paltz. In addition, he served as a delegate to the United Nations for India (Source: «The Hidden Ground of Love», pp. 112).
Charles Luc Chambost writes from Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume, Var département, France.
Mrs. Katharine Champney writes from Cincinnati, Ohio, in response to "Apologies to an Unbeliever", published in the November 1966 issue of «Harper's Magazine» (and later appeared with a related article in the book Faith and Violence).
M. R. Chandler wrote for the San Francisco Examiner.
Sr. Marie de la Redemption Chantal was a Carmelite nun writing from La Tronche, France.
Susan Chapulis was a sixth grader writing from Waterbury, Connecticut.
Merton employed Marie Charron for some of his typing after he had problems with his arm and back. He would mail her tapes or manuscripts to prepare for a standard fee.
Dom Anthony Chassagne was abbot of Mepkin Abbey in Moncks Corner, South Carolina from 1955-1974, having served as a superior before status as an abbey since its founding in 1949.
Msgr. Josiah George Chatham was a priest from Jackson, Mississippi, who had known Merton since their meeting at Gethsemani in 1940. They became friends and discussed Chatham's opposition to the war, his protests of nuclear weapons, and his support of Civil Rights in the South.
Maria Braz Chaves (Maria Therezinha) writes from Minas Gerais, Brazil. Merton wrote her a brief letter of thanks in November of 1966. The letter is not extant but was reproduced for a book by Maria Braz Chaves, «Um Ser Entre Bilhões». The book was published in 1969 and Braz Chaves sends a copy with a note in the book and a separate letter to Dom Flavian Burns, Abbot of Gethsemani Abbey, in memory of Thomas Merton.
Merton wrote to the Hon. Frank Chelf, who was with the House of Representatives in Washington, D.C.
Dr. R. S. Y. Chi was a scholar on many topics including Buddhism and Oriental art. He earned doctoral degrees from Oxford and Cambridge. Merton learned of him from Lunsford Yandell, who put them in contact in 1967. Dr. Chi was a professor at University of Indiana at the time of writing (Source: «The Hidden Ground of Love», pp. 121-122).
Fr. Augustine Chlest was writing from St. Joseph Church in Carpinteria, California.
Noam Chomsky, best known for his landmark influence on linguistics, has also been a stern critic of political empiricism and a voice of the political left in the United States. He was a stalwart critic of the war in Vietnam and attempts to get Merton's support of "A Call to Resist Illegitimate Authority". (Source: "Chomsky, Avram Noam" The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy. Simon Blackburn. Oxford University Press, 1996. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Bellarmine University. 28 July 2004 ‹http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t98.e397›).
Fr. Serge Choupner writes from the Monastery of the Franciscan Fathers in Rennes, France.
Christine Bochen describes Napoleón Chow as "belong[ing] to the circle of Nicaraguan poets that included Ernesto Cardenal, Pablo Antonio Cuadra, Angel Martinez, José Coronel Urtecho, and others" (Source: «The Courage for Truth», pp. 167).
Gordon Christiansen was the Director of Studies of the Peace Education Division of the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The AFSC is a social justice and peace organization founded by Quakers.
Marie Therese Christie writes from London.
Sr. M. Chrysantha was a Franciscan sister at the College of St. Francis in Joliet, Illinois.
Br. Chrysostom was a monk of Gethsemani at the time of writing.
Fr. Chrysostom was a Trappist monk at Mepkin Abbey in Moncks Corner, South Carolina.
John Ciardi, according to the title of a lecture series on Ciardi, was a "Poet - Translator - Critic - Editor" (the lecture's brochure is included in the correspondence file). He long served as the Poetry Editor for the «Saturday Review» in New York, and in this capacity writes to Merton. He is noted for making poetry accessible to the public.
In 1933, Archbishop Amleto Giovanni Cicognani was appointed the Apostolic Delegate to the United States. He was elevated to Cardinal in 1958, replaced as Apostolic Delegate by Egidio Vagnozzi. In 1968, Cardinal Cicognani was made President of Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See, Roman Curia, Vatican City.
Bill Claire was the founder of the literary magazine «Voyages», based in Washington, D.C.
Sr. Clare Immaculate was writing from the Sisters of Saint Francis in Philadelphia.
Sr. Clare Marie was of the Poor Clares of Chicago.
Merton writes to Mother Mary Francis Clare, who is in New Orleans. She had attended a meeting at Gethsemani Abbey in December of 1967 of Merton speaking with contemplative nuns.
Fr. Benjamin Clark was a monk of Mepkin Abbey in Moncks Corner, South Carolina. He was a novice with Merton and later served as one of his censors. (Source: «The School of Charity», pp. 336.)
The letterhead of his letter states that Fr. Clark was of the "Jesuit Mission Band" from St. Louis, Missouri. His ministry was working with those in prison on death row.
Fr. Clement was a priest at a Passionist monastery in Fukuoka-Shi, Japan.
Fr. Benedict (Br. Benedict at this time) was a Trappist monk at Assumption Abbey in Ava, Missouri.
Mother Coakley was a Religious of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Master of Novices of the Convent of the Sacred Heart in Albany, New York.
Dick Coanda was active in the Cursillo Movement in the Catholic Church and served as editor of a small Cursillo newsletter called «Ultreya».
Ann Cockrill was entering the Carmelites and writing from Memphis, Tennessee.
Thomas Coffey was President of Dimension Books in Denville, New Jersey.
Marvin Cohen was author of «The Self-Devoted Friend» (1967), and a contributor to «Monks Pond» in 1968. He writes from New York.
Fr. Basilio Colasito was a Benedictine monk writing from Montserrat Abbey in Manila, Philippines.
Mary Cole was working for the Archdiocese of New York in the office of Spanish Community Action.
Rienzo Colla was Editor of «La Locusta», a publication for young Catholics published from Vincenza, Italy.
Alan C. Collins was President of the publishing company Curtis Brown, Ltd., and writes from New York.
Early in their correspondence, Sr. Angela of the Eucharist (née Viola M. Collins) was a Carmelite Prioress in Louisville, Kentucky. Between 1965 and 1966, she would became Mother Angela of the Eucharist, appointed superior of the Carmelite monastery in Savannah, Georgia.
Fr. Bernard Collins was Editor of «Monastic Studies». He and the publication were located at Holy Cross Abbey in Berryville, Virginia, in 1963-1964. Later in 1964, Collins writes from Guadalupe Abbey in Lafayette, Oregon. By 1965 through the rest of the correspondence, he and «Monastic Studies» have moved to Mount Saviour Monastery in Pine City, New York. In December of 1966, Collins informs Merton that he has changed his religious name to Brendan instead of Bernard, and that not all solemnly professed monks would be addressed as "Father" and that he would now be Brother Brendan.
Edward Collins was writing to Merton from Iowa City.
Br. Frederic Collins is a monk of Gethsemani Abbey. Because of his business studies before entering the monastery, Dom James Fox appointed him to start a mail-order business for the cheese and fruitcake that was made by the monks. This type of monastic consumerism did not appear to Merton, and the two did not see eye to eye. In the mid-sixties, he was sent to La Dehesa Monastery in Chile that Gethsemani was taking over as a mission from Spencer Abbey (becoming an independent monastery in 1970, and moving and changing its name to Miraflores in 1986). Unlike the mail order business, Merton was very interested in Latin America and considered this as a place to become a hermit. At this time, the two monks became closer. [Sources: personal account by Br. Frederic Collins (June 2003) and Web site of AIM (Inter-Monastery Alliance) ‹http://www.aimintl.org/communs/miraflores/miraflores.htm›.]
Ted Coltman was writing Merton from Cambridge, Massachusetts, on behalf of «The Current».
Maria Columba was writing from St. Petersburg, Florida.
