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Thomas Congdon was Senior Editor of «The Saturday Evening Post».

William Congdon was an American artist who converted to Catholicism in 1959. For much of his life, he was a wanderer who rejected a life as heir to a wealthy Rhode Island family. His conversion happened in Assisi, where he would live much of the rest of his life, dying in Italy in 1998. His early artistic influences came from the neo-romantic and abstract expressionist schools. After his conversion to Catholicism, he produced many religiously themed works of art. His biography from his foundation's web site likens his conversion to a "suicide", marginalizing him from the mainstream art community. Congdon wrote essays on art, especially sacred art and the duty of a Christian artist. Merton was writing about similar themes in his unpublished work, «Art and Worship». (Source: Official William Congdon Site, maintained by the William G. Congdon Foundation, ‹https://congdonfoundation.com›, 2004/09/16.)

Fr. Tarcisius Conner was a monk of Gethsemani assigned to the Vatican at the beginning of their correspondence. He writes to Merton from Rome, Paris, and Mont des Cats Abbey in Northern France.

Fr. Brendan Connolly was Director of Libraries for Boston College at the time of correspondence.

Fr. Terence Connolly was Director of Libraries for Boston College from 1944 until 1959, succeeded by Brendan Connolly. He obtained a copy of a manuscript for «The Seven Storey Mountain» in the late 1940's.

Mother Mary Consolata was Clarissine Abbess of the Madres Clarisas monastery in La Paz, Bolivia.

Sr. Angela Conway was a Dominican sister living in England at the time of writing.

Terence J. Cooke was Chancellor of the Vatican Pavilion for the New York World's Fair in 1964-1965. He was later made bishop of New York and named a cardinal in 1969.

Doña Luisa Coomaraswamy was the widow of Ananda Kentish Coomaraswamy, a scholar of Indian, Persian, and Islamic art, who saw a unifying truth underlying major religions of the world. Doña Luisa took the responsibility of organizing his papers after his death and attempted to collect some of his unfinished projects for publication as a book of collected writings. She died before finishing this project, but Roger Lipsey edited a two-volume set of his papers published in 1977 (source: «The Hidden Ground of Love», p. 125).

Séamus Cooney was a professor at the Indiana University Department of English in 1968.

John Sherman Cooper served as a United States Senator from Kentucky in intermittent terms between 1946-1973 and was a member of the Republican Party.

Marty Corbin was editor of the «Catholic Worker», which published some of Merton's essays.

Cid Corman was a poet who went to Japan in 1951 and founded a literary magazine and press by the name of Origin. Besides writing his own poetry, he translated the works of a number of French and Japanese poets (source: «The Courage for Truth», p. 246). Cid Corman writes to Merton from Kyoto, Japan.

Tom Cornell was active in the Catholic Worker Movement since Merton's contact with him in the 1960's and for many years lived on a Catholic Worker farm. He was a founding member of the Catholic Peace Fellowship (CPF). He was a friend and associate of Dorothy Day and Jim Forest.

José Coronel Urtecho was a poet from Nicaragua who influenced many other Latin American poets after him, including his nephew and former novice of Merton, Ernesto Cardenal. Having spent much of his youth in California, he read and admired Ezra Pound and other North American writers. After returning to Nicaragua, he founded the Vanguard Movement in 1927. He writes to Merton from his hacienda in Los Chiles, Costa Rica. A fan of Merton (and Merton of him), Coronel Urtecho planned to publish a Spanish anthology of Merton's work, but it did not appear in print. (Source: «The Courage for Truth», p. 171.)

Fr. John Correia-Afonso was a Jesuit writing to Merton from St. Xavier College in Bombay.

Cecilia Corsanego was a student at Pro Civitate Christiana in Italy. She was writing a thesis on Merton's poetry and asks for his assistance.

Known as "El Poeta Loco" of Nicaragua, Merton had a profound respect for his works and metaphysical insights. Christine Bochen states that "[i]n a brief essay introducing his translations of poems by Cortés, Merton recalls Ernesto Cardenal's account of seeing Cortés chained to a beam in Rubén Dario's house, where he is said to have gone insane on February 18, 1927 (source: «The Courage for Truth», p. 176).

Maria Luisa Cortés was the sister of poet Alfonso Cortés. She writes from León, Nicaragua.

Antoinette M. Costa writes from Taunton, Massachusetts. She was writing a school research paper on Merton's poetry.

Sr. Marion William Cotty writes from St. Teresa Convent in Providence, Rhode Island.

Fr. Guerric Couilleau was a Cistercian monk of Bellefontaine Abbey in France.

Norman Cousins was Editor of the «Saturday Review» and an outspoken opponent of the Vietnam War.

The «C.P.S.A. Bulletin» seems to have been the magazine of the Catholic Poetry Society of America.

Charles J. Crail was District Forester for the Commonwealth of Kentucky Division of Forestry in Elizabethtown.

Dr. Robert Crane was a Research Associate with the Center for Strategic Studies and was later with the Hudson Institute for National Security and International Order in Croton-on-Hudson, New York. He was involved in Republican Party functions and conservative-leaning think-tanks on national and international security and outer space security.

Fr. Bernard Cranor has been a Benedictine at the Monastery of Christ in the Desert since 1989. He began his monastic experience at Holy Trinity in Utah from 1951-1956, taking the name Stephen. He did not take solemn vows there, but decided to study for the Dominicans in California, where he would take the name Bernard and remain there as a priest until joining the Benedictines. It is during this time of his studies with the Dominicans that he has an exchange of letters with Merton. He was friends with another Merton correspondent, Br. Antoninus (William Everson), to whom Merton sends his greetings.

William Crotty was part of the Faculty Association of the Baldwinsville Academy and Central Schools in Baldwinsville, New York.

Paul A. Crow, Jr. was Associate Professor of Church History and Registrar of the College of the Bible in Lexington, Kentucky, at the time of this letter.

Josep M. Cruzet was writing on behalf of the publishers Editorial Selecta in Barcelona, Spain.

Pablo Antonio Cuadra was a Nicaraguan poet and author of over twenty books. He was editor of the literary reviews «Vanguardia» and «El Pez y La Serpiente», and co-edited the newspaper «La Prensa» with Pedro Joaquin Chamorro. He was in exile in Costa Rica for a period during his correspondence with Merton and later had to go into exile again when the Sandinistas came to powerx000D
(source: «The Courage for Truth», p. 178).

Miss Cuccia seems to be from New York from a geographical reference Merton makes in the letter.

Sheila Cudahy was an editor and partner for Farrar, Straus and Cudahy Publishers at the time of writing to Merton.

Michael Cuddihy was one of the translators of a book by Jacques Maritain (likely The Peasant of the Garonne). Cuddihy writes from Tucson, Arizona.

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.

Paul Cuneo was Book Editor for «America» magazine and writes from New York.

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.

Adrian Cunningham died at age 69 in March 2012. He spent the greatest part of his professional career at the University of Lancaster, helping to found the Department of Religious Studies in 1967. Merton writes to him in London. At the time, he was a student at Cambridge. He was involved in Catholic attempts to promote non-violence and to resist nuclear arms proliferation. He later was a co-founder the controversial publication «Slant», which attempted to reconcile Marxism and Catholic thought. (Sources: «Subtext» [Lancaster, UK]: #88, 22 March 2012 ‹www.lancaster.ac.uk/subtext/archive/issue088.htm›, accessed 14 March 2014; and " Once again, farewell," «The Tablet»: 24 March 2012, p. 19 ‹archive.thetablet.co.uk/article/24th-march-2012/19/once-again-farewell, accessed 14 March 2014›.)

Merton mentions that Eileen Curns was a papal volunteer in Brazil. After returning from the trip from Brazil, she attempts to publish an account of her trip, delivers speeches, and does typing for Merton. She writes from Waukegan, Illinois.

Martin Lee Curry was poetry editor and later general editor for «The Florida Quarterly». This literary magazine began at University of Florida in Gainesville in 1967 and was the first of its kind at the university. Curry convinced Merton to send in a poem for the first issue. Merton also contributed the poem "Welcome" for the second issue, which was published in November of 1967.

Fr. Andrew Cusak was the Guidance Director for the Stamford Catholic High School at the time of correspondence.

John Cushman was with the Translation Rights Department with Curtis Brown.

Fr. John Daly was writing as a member of the National Association for Pastoral Renewal. He was writing from St. Louis, Missouri, where he worked at Barnes Hospital.

Fr. John Daly was President of Songang Jesuit College and an admirer of Merton's writings.

Br. Damian was a Passionist religious and editor of «Brothers' Newsletter», a quarterly publication for religious brothers of various congregations.

Sr. Mary Damiano writes from a Franciscan convent in Uganda.

Doris Dana writes to Merton from New York and from her travels to France. Dana was the long-time companion of poet, educator, feminist, Nobel laureate and Chilean diplomat, Gabriela Mistral (pen name of Lucila de María del Perpetuo Socorro Godoy Alcayaga, 1889-1957). Dana translated and edited some of Mistral's poems. Dana seemed to be a mutual friend with Merton of both John Howard Griffin and Jacques Maritain. She visited Merton in early January of 1967, when she introduced Merton to the story of Ishi and sparked some of Merton's interest in Native Americans; and then visited him again in late October of 1967, when they traveled to Lexington together to visit Victor and Carolyn Hammer and John Jacob Niles.

Anna Danell writes to Merton from Strängnäs, Sweden. Johan Danell, a brother of the Taizé community in France, met Merton in the summer of 1967.

Bradford Daniel was working with John Howard Griffin at the time of correspondence and writes on the letterhead of the American Society of Magazine Photographers in Mansfield, Texas.

Fr. Jean Daniélou was a Jesuit scholar of early Christianity who was editor of «Études» in Paris, a Catholic general interest magazine. In 1969, he was made a cardinal by Pope Paul VI and was a member of the Académie Française.

Henri Daniel-Rops was the author of a number of books, especially focusing on faith history.

Mother Myriam Dardenne founded Redwoods Abbey, a Trappist community of women, in White Thorn, California. Merton met her on her way to found it in 1962. Later, he visited Redwoods before continuing his trip to Asia. They discuss Merton's travel plans and arrangements for a meeting of contemplative religious at Redwoods Monastery.

J. B. Das was writing a tribute to Dr. Mahanambrata Brahmachari, a friend of Merton's from Columbia and about whom he mentions in «The Seven Storey Mountain». He is asking for a contribution to this written piece by Merton.

Fr. Hubert Daubechies is a Jesuit and chief editor of «Revista Mensaje» and wants to translate Merton's "The Black Revolution" article into Spanish for his magazine. He writes from Santiago, Chile.

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).

Arthur J. Davidson writes from New York.

Irvan Davis writes on behalf of Celebrities Art Exhibits in St. Louis, Missouri.

Archbishop James P. Davis was bishop of San Juan, Puerto Rico, at the time of correspondence with Merton.

Mary Ann Davis and Donna Gunty write from Chicago, Illinois.

Peter Davison was director of «The Atlantic Monthly Press» from Boston, Massachusetts. He asks Merton for his thoughts on Bertrand Russell's autobiography for use as a promotional quote.

Social activist, author, and co-founder of the Catholic Worker Movement, Dorothy Day was a profound influence and mentor for Merton. Merton especially respected her commitment to non-violence and to the poor. A complex and dynamic figure, she espoused politically leftist views, while maintaining a traditional faith in Catholicism. (Source: «The Hidden Ground of Love», pp. 135-136.)

Bernard de Aguiar was born in New Jersey in 1926. First a Benedictine, he transferred to Gethsemani and became a Trappist in 1951 where he took the name Sylvanus. After 11 years at the Abbey, he was ordained a priest. Soon after, in 1962, he obtained permission to live an eremitical life away from Gethsemani with Dom Jacques Winandy in Martinique. In 1969, he moved to Hornby Island (between the British Columbia mainland and Vancouver Island) and started a pottery studio called Earthen Vessels. He was laicized in 1974.

Fr. Clément de Bourbon writes from the Cistercian Abbey of Santa María de Viaceli in Spain. He was secretary to Abbot General Gabriel Sortais.

Dr. Louis de Crenascol was director of the Art Department at Seton Hall University in New Jersey.

Fr. Roger De Ganck first rights from the Trappist abbey of Westmalle in Belgium. Later, he has relocated to the new Trappist foundation of Redwoods Abbey in California.

Fr. Paul Marie de la Croix writes from Bernay en Champagne in France.

Ricardo I. de León was a former novice at Gethsemani who was living in the Philippines at the time of correspondence with Merton. He later became director of Caritas Manila, a Catholic social services agency.

Richard De Martino was writing from the Temple University Department of Religion in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Along with Abe Masao and Nishitani Keiji, he was involved in the return in 1965 of «The Eastern Buddhist», which was originally started in 1921 by D. T. Suzuki and which featured articles on Buddhism and Buddhist texts in translation.

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.

John de Menil (husband of Dominique 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.

Br. De Montfort was a monk of Gethsemani Abbey. He seemed to be assisting Merton in furnishing either Merton's hermitage or one of the either sheds Merton used for prayer. There are also discussions of other little places for other monks to pray in nature but to take shelter from the rain and talk of a small chapel.

Norman R. De Puy was editor of «Mission: The American Baptist Magazine» from Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.

Remi J. De Roo was Bishop of Victoria, British Columbia in Canada. He gave permission for Dom Jacques Winandy, O.S.B. to establish a "community" of hermits, the Hermits of St. John the Baptist, in his diocese in 1964. The hermits lived and prayed independently, but were in proximity to each other and under the guidance of an elder or superior.

Jacques de Spoelberch was an editor for Houghton Mifflin in Boston, Massachusetts, and asks Merton to do an introduction for Michel Bernanos' «La Montagne Morte de la Vie».

Mara de Sylva was a woman who had been nearly blind for 80 years. She writes to Merton to pray for her son, Joaquim Oscar de Sylva, who is suffering health problems from fumes he was exposed to at work.