Irene Skolnick was Managing Editor of «The Hudson Review» in New York at the time of correspondence with Merton.
John H. Slate was a classmate of Merton's at Columbia University. He was a lawyer with the firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom in New York, and specialized in aviation law. In addition, he contributed humorous pieces to «Fortune», «The Atlantic Monthly», and «The Saturday Evening Post». Merton had heard reports about Slate from other Columbia alumni friends, but had not been in direct contact for many years. Slate died of a heart attack later in that same year they were in contact concerning the literary estate.
Mary Ellen Slate was married to Merton's Columbia classmate, John Slate.
Lydia Pasternak Slater was a research chemist from Russia who emigrated first to Germany and later to Great Britain after the Nazi rise to power. She wrote poetry and translated works of her brother, Boris Pasternak.
William Milligan Sloane was a publisher (William Sloane Associates) writing from New York. He also was an author of mysteries and science fiction.
Fr. Gerard Stephen Sloyan was, at the time of writing to Merton, a professor at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He has written some texts on theology and morality.
Nancy Smiler was an editorial assistant at Bantam Books in New York.
Rev. Glenn Smiley was Associate Executive Secretary for the Fellowship of Reconciliation in Nyack, New York, at the time of writing. He was a pacifist, prominent in the Civil Rights Movement, and a friend of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Anne Smith was married to another Merton correspondent, Carleton Smith. She sends Merton some photographs taken by her husband.
Carleton Smith was a close friend of Cardinal Koenig, Archbishop of Vienna and head of the Secretariat for Non-Believers. The cardinal made a delegation to the United States in 1967 for the secretariat, which occasioned Smith to visit Gethsemani twice to dialogue about this dialogue with non-believers and other issues. Merton became godfather to Smith's son, Raphael, and corresponded with his wife, Anne. An authority on art, he founded as served as chairman of both the National Arts Foundation of New York and the International Awards Foundation. In his varied career, he served as music editor for «Esquire» and recorded folk songs from around the world. (Source: «The Hidden Ground of Love», p. 556.)
Catherine Smith writes from Escanaba, Michigan. She seems to have been an artist working in a variety of media, including pottery, sculpture and fabrics. She seems to have met or known Merton's friend Sr. Thérèse Lentfoehr, who tells Merton of seeing Smith in Escanaba.
Charles Smith was Chairman of Chicago CORE and writes from Chicago, Illinois.
E. Gene Smith writes from Seattle, Washington. He was a student of Dezhung Rinpoche, a Buddhist mystic residing in Seattle after exile from his native Tibet.
Elwyn A. Smith was the Co-editor of the «Journal of Ecumenical Studies» at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Grover Cleveland Smith writes from Durham, North Carolina. At the time, he was an English professor at Duke University.
Fr. R. F. Smith was a Jesuit priest and editor for «Review for Religious» in St. Mary's, Kansas.
Susan Smith was a student at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri at the time of writing. Following Merton's correspondence with Barbara Ann Braveman, another member of the staff of the student publication «Free Lance» (also "Freelance"), Smith came to Gethsemani to interview Merton on March 30, 1968 with Sandy Meyer, and students named Sally and Mike (possibly Michael Castro?).
Fr. Thomas Fidelis Smith was a Trappist monk of the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, Georgia.
Sociologist and economist Dallas Walker Smythe was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, and moved to the United States in 1918. He was a life-long pacifist. In the late 1930's, he became a civil servant in Washington, D.C. In 1948, he joined the new Institute of Communications Research at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It is from here, he writes to Merton and Merton responds. (Source: Gourlie, Michael; Caitlin Webster; Frances Fournier; and Enid Britt. "Dallas Smythe fonds". Jan. 1998. Website of Simon Fraser University Archives. Accessed, 9 May 2006: Bellarmine University Library. ‹http://www.sfu.ca/archives/F-16/F-16fonds.html›.)
The Rev. Eric Snyder was associate secretary for the Division of Community Services of the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church. He writes from New York.
Gary Snyder was a poet associated with the Beat Generation in the San Francisco of the 1950's. He was the protagonist in Jack Kerouac's «The Dharma Bums». His writing interests have included ecology and the myths of Japan, China, and of the Native Americans. He knew Merton's poet friend, Cid Corman, and Merton's friend in publishing, James Laughlin. At this time, Snyder was spending some time in the Sierra Nevada mountains between living in Japan and studying Zen. (Source: "Snyder, Gary". Biography from Hutchinson Encyclopedia of Biography . 2000. Online. Biography Reference Bank. H.W. Wilson. Bellarmine University Library, Louisville, KY. 9 May 2006. ‹http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com›.)
Ambassador Soedjatmoko writes from the Embassy of Indonesia in Washington, D.C. Raden Soedjatmoko Saleh Mangoediningrat went also by the nickname "Mas Koko" or simply "Koko". By the end of their five hour meeting in Washington, D.C., the two men referred to each other as Tom and Koko.
Ambassador Soedjatmoko writes from the Embassy of Indonesia in Washington, D.C. Raden Soedjatmoko Saleh Mangoediningrat went also by the nickname "Mas Koko" or simply "Koko". By the end of their five hour meeting in Washington, D.C., the two men referred to each other as Tom and Koko.
Gary A. Solbue was activities adviser for San Diego State College in California.
Fr. Philip M. Solem was assistant pastor at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Parish in Duluth, Minnesota. He was 28 at this time.
Justin Soleta was assistant editor for the National Catholic weekly, «Ave Maria», published by the Holy Cross Fathers of Notre Dame, Indiana.
Luis Somoza Debayle was President of Nicaragua from 1956-1963. The eldest son of the former dictator, Anastasio Somoza Garcia, he was a nationalist and a supporter of some liberal social reforms. At the same time, he was anti-communist and supported the United States in their Bay of Pigs Invasion of Cuba. Somoza resided in the capital of Managua, Nicaragua.
Archimandrite Sophrony was an Orthodox Christian priest from the Monastery of St. John the Baptist at Tolleshunt Knights, Essex, England.
Dom Gabriel Sortais was Abbot General of the Cistercians of the Strict Observance (Trappists) from 1951-1963.
Muriel Soundry was editor at Hawthorn Books of New York.
R. W. Southern was a medievalist and professor from England teaching at Oxford University. Merton may have been familiar with his books, including «St Anselm and His Biographer» and «Western Views of Islam in the Middle Ages».
Eloise Spaeth was a patroness of the arts from New York. She was major force in convincing the Smithsonian Institution to open its Archives of American Art and was a promoter of Guild Hall in East Hampton. (Source: "SPAETH, ELOISE O'MARA". New York Times [online]. 6 Sep. 1998. Accessed 22 May 2006. Bellarmine University Library. ‹http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9400E1DC133CF935A3575AC0A96E958260›.)
Robert Speaight was a British actor and biographer of Eric Gill and Hilaire Belloc.
Francis Cardinal Spellman was Archbishop of New York.
Stephen Spender was a British poet, critic and essayist. He was part of the "Oxford poets" movement. His circle included W. H. Auden, Isaiah Berlin, Louis MacNiece, Bernard Spencer, Christopher Isherwood, and C. Day Lewis. At the time of writing, he was editor of «Encounter» magazine. (Source: "Spender, Stephen" Obituary from Current Biography. 1995. Online. Biography Reference Bank. H.W. Wilson. Bellarmine University Library, Louisville, KY. 22 May 2006. ‹http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com›.)
Stephen J. Spiro was a conscientious objector who was drafted for the Vietnam War. He continues to help those who chose to resist the draft and to work for peace in the Fellowship of Reconciliation. He writes to Merton from Bogotá, New Jersey.
Dr. Benjamin Spock, the pediatrician who wrote the "Bible" of childrearing for the post-World War II generation, was also a peace activist. Beginning in 1962, he protested nuclear arms and waste. Later in the 1960's, he protested the Vietnam War. (Source: "Spock, Benjamin" Obituary from Current Biography. 1998. Online. Biography Reference Bank. H.W. Wilson. Bellarmine University Library, Louisville, KY. 23 May 2006. ‹http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com›.)
Br. Wilfrid Spratti was a Trappist monk of Gethsemani Abbey.
Fr. Aelred Squire was a Dominican priest from England. While writing to Merton, he lived as a hermit at St. Vith, Belgium. Later in life, he joined the Camaldolese in Big Sur, California.
Rafael Squirru was, at the time of writing, Director of Cultural Affairs for the Organization of American States (OAS). He was a poet and critic and founding Director of the Museum of Modern Art in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
John Stanley was a former novice at Gethsemani Abbey. He worked for a number of years with Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker Movement. He was a friend of another ex-novice from Gethsemani and fellow Catholic Worker, Robert Steed.