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Br. Patrick Hart was Merton's last secretary. In his earlier years at the monastery, he went by the religious name Br. Simon. He continued to foster Merton's legacy through the interviews he has conducted and through editing many of the collections of Merton's essays, journals, and correspondence.

The ITMS came into being in 1987 to promote a greater knowledge of the life and writings of Thomas Merton, one of the most influential religious figures of our time. The Society sponsors biennial conferences devoted to Merton and his work and supports the writing of general-interest and scholarly books and articles about Merton. In addition the ITMS awards regular grants to researchers and scholarships to youth. It encourages a variety of activities such as Merton retreats. Local Chapters and Affiliates of the ITMS across the world reflect a wide range of personal interest and approaches to Thomas Merton.

Canon Arthur MacDonald (Donald) Allchin was an Anglican priest who came to know Merton through Dr. Dale Moody of the Baptist Seminary in Louisville. When he first met Merton, Allchin was at Oxford and served as librarian for Pusey House and as a student chaplain. He would later become Canon Residentiary at Canterbury Cathedral, England (source: «The Hidden Ground of Love»).

Edward Deming Andrews was a foremost authority on the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing, or the Shakers. As Merton became exposed to the remains of the community at Pleasant Hill, he sought out Andrews' expertise. After Edward's death, Merton corresponded with his wife, Faith (see "Andrews, Faith Elizabeth" file). (Source: «The Hidden Ground of Love».)

Lorine Niedecker was a poet who lived most of her life on Rock River in Wisconsin. She worked many odd jobs through the years and married twice, starting to write verse in the 1930's after attending Beloit College. She moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with her second husband and died of a stroke in 1970. Louis Zukofsky was an influence on her poetry, the two of them having corresponded in the 1930's. She had a number of poems published in books and magazines, including some by Jonathan Williams and Cid Corman. Merton publishes some of her poems in the first volume of «Monks Pond». (Source: Monks Pond, p. 62.)

Lord Northbourne, born Walter Ernest Christopher James, was the 4th Baron Northbourne, residing in Deal, Kent, England. Lord Northbourne began as an agronomist, serving as Provost of Wye College of University of London. After reading Marco Pallis, he became involved in the Traditionalist / Perennialist movement of writers. Northbourne sometimes used the «nom de plume» of Sidi Nuh. Pallis in turn suggested that he send Merton a copy of his book, «Religion in the Modern World». Merton sent him back a copy of his response to the document of the Second Vatican Council entitled, «Gaudium et Spes» (the Church in the Modern World). Merton's essay, later incorporated into «Redeeming the Time», was called "The Church and the 'Godless' World". (Sources: «Witness to Freedom».; and "Northbourne, Lord". World Wisdom Books (website). 6 Jan. 2006. ‹http://worldwisdom.com/author/Detail.asp?AuthorID=43&WhatType=2›.)

Thomas O'Brien was a religion teacher at Brother Rice High School in Chicago, Illinois. He was working on a graduate degree in education at this time. He asks Merton's advice for a paper he was writing for a course. O'Brien entitled his paper: "Catholic Church Non-Involvement in Ghetto Areas, and Consequent Adverse Effect on Negro Acculturation". (Source: «The Road to Joy», pp. 364.)

James O'Gara was editor of the «Commonweal» in New York from 1952-1984. A Catholic, born in Chicago's South Side, he had an early interest in the Catholic Worker movement. He later became assistant director of the Catholic Worker House of Hospitality and associate editor of the «Catholic Worker» newspaper. After fighting in the infantry in the Second World War in the South Pacific, he contracted malaria and was sent home. He married Joan F. Smith in 1946, who was secretary for the head of the Chicago Interstudent Catholic Action Movement. He co-founded Today, a Catholic student magazine circulated nationally. Later he worked for «Voice of St. Jude», which became the current magazine «U.S. Catholic». During his tenure at «Commonweal», he defended a liberal Catholic voice in journalism. When Daniel Berrigan submitted an article while hiding from the federal authorities during the Vietnam War, O'Gara was approached by the FBI, but was said by his daughter to have told them to "get out". (Source: Toomey, Shamus. "James O'Gara, 85, editor for leading Catholic lay magazine." Chicago Sun Times [online]. 30 Oct. 2003. x000D
Obituaries. 13 Jan. 2006. ‹http://www.chicagosuntimes.com/output/obituaries/cst-nws-xogara30.html›.)

Ned O'Gorman was a poet and, at the time of writing, on the editorial staff of the Catholic magazine, «Jubilee». His poetry has been described as having "bejeweled" language and baroque imagery, influenced by his Catholic faith. He was also interested in social justice, starting a library and school serving primarily African-American children in Harlem in 1966. (Source: "O'Gorman, Ned." World Authors. 1975. Wilson Biographies Plus. Online. H.W. Wilson. Bellarmine University Library, Louisville, KY. 13 Jan. 2006. ‹http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com›.)

Arthur Osborne was an Oxford graduate of history who taught at Chulongkorn University in Bangkok before moving to Tiruvannamalai, India, with his family to become a devotee of Ramana Maharshi. Taking up residence at the Ashram of Maharshi, he was well-known as the founder and editor of «The Mountain Path», a quarterly journal published by Sri Ramanasramam. (Source: Osborne, Arthur. "The Teachings of Ramana Maharshi in His Own Words." Sri Ramanasramam. Tiruvannamalai, India: 1996. Back cover.)

Prior Bernardin Patterson was a Benedictine monk of St. Maur's Priory in South Union, Kentucky. The monastery was unique in the United States as having been established as a racially integrated community when it was founded in 1947 on the grounds of a Shaker village. At the time of writing, he was working on a book entitled, «Religion on Trial».

Merton first wrote Giovanni B. Montini in 1949 while serving as Secretary of State for the Vatican under Pope Pius XII. Montini became Archbishop of Milan in 1955, was elevated to cardinal in 1958, and was elected Pope Paul VI in 1963. Paul VI read and appreciated Merton's writings. He had an active role in the Second Vatican Council before and after becoming pope. Merton was lending support to the Second Vatican Council's statement on interfaith dialog, which became «Nostra Aetate», the "Declaration on the Relation of the Church with Non-Christian Religions," which was proclaimed under Pope Paul VI. Merton was also pleased with Paul VI for his statement for peace before the United Nations in 1965. Merton wrote to delegates at Vatican II supporting Schema 13's provisions against modern war, later a part of «Gaudium et Spes», the "Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World".

C. Alexander Peloquin was a composer of liturgical music who was one of the earliest to begin to write in a style that reflected the changes brought about by the Second Vatican Council. He spent many years as composer-in-residence at Boston College and directed student choral ensembles. He composed music for some of Merton's "Freedom Songs", poems inspired by Negro spirituals. The songs were originally intended to be sung by African-American baritone Robert Williams. Merton and Peloquin had trouble at a time with claims that Williams made over copyright of the songs.

Dom M. Basil (Robert) Pennington was a Trappist monk, author, editor, lecturer and abbot. He joined St. Joseph's Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts in 1951. In the early 1960's, he studied canon law at Gregorian University in Rome and returned to teach at Spencer. He began correspondence with Merton upon appointment in 1967 to reform the Trappist order's constitution. He was instrumental in launching Cistercian Publications (later Cistercian Studies) in the late 1960's. In the 1970's, he visited the Orthodox monks at Mt. Athos and began writing about Catholic-Orthodox dialogue. During this time, he also became interested in Centering Prayer and became one of its proponents, conducting numerous workshops on the subject. He spent eight years at Our Lady of Joy on Lantao Island near Hong Kong beginning in 1991. He traveled much through Asia and furthered interfaith dialogue with eastern religions. In 1999, he came back to the United States, briefly serving as superior of monasteries in Ava, Missouri, and Conyers, Georgia, before returning to Spencer. In March of 2005, he was in an accident from which he never fully recovered. In June of 2005, he succumbed to complications from the accident. He left behind a large corpus of writings. He wrote some reflections on Merton, including a book about a retreat he made at Merton's hermitage. (Source: "Dom M. Basil (Robert) Pennington, OCSO". Contemplative Outreach, Ltd. website. 2 Feb. 2006. ‹http://www.centeringprayer.com/newsltrs/basil.htm›.)

Dom Pedro Pérez was from the Benedictine Monasterio de las Condes in Santiago, Chile. In 1959, he asks some questions regarding the observance of the rule at Gethsemani and policies for novices. In 1964, he asks a number of questions regarding «aggiornamento», or reform, of religious life.

At the time of writing to Merton, Sr. Mary James Power, SSND, was principal and a teacher at Girls Catholic High School in Malden, Massachusetts. She also served as secondary schools supervisor for the School Sisters of Notre Dame, New England Province. She wrote two books, «Poets at Prayer» (1938) and «In the Name of the Bee: The significance of Emily Dickinson» (1943), as well as making important contributions to scholarly publications. (Biographical information courtesy of research conducted by John Collins.)

Fr. Karl Rahner was a Jesuit priest and one of the most prominent Catholic theologians of the 20th century. He was a professor of dogmatic theology and the philosophy of religion at a number of different Jesuit universities in West Germany and Austria. (Source: (Source: "Rahner, Karl." Obituary from Current Biography. 30 March 1984. Wilson Biographies Plus. Online. H.W. Wilson. Bellarmine University Library, Louisville, KY. 13 Feb. 2006. ‹http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com›.)

Robert Rambusch was a Liturgical Design Consultant, who having trained with Frank Kacmarcik, later consulted for numerous cathedral designs and renovations. In his younger life, after the Second World War, Rambusch got involved in Catholic Action groups. He later studied liturgy and attended the Center for Sacred Art in Paris. Rambusch and his friend Frank Kacmarcik and his friend visit Gethsemani in October of 1960. Merton notes in his personal journal of being "a little suspicious of the intense activation and restlessness of some of these liturgical enthusiasts", although noting he has "[n]othing against liturgy" (personal journals, 1960/10/16).

A. Philip Randolph was in the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement for African Americans, a socialist and union leader fighting for workers writes and equality. Born in Florida, he moved to Harlem in 1911 to get into theater. Enrolling at the City College of New York, he changed life plans and majored in politics and economics. Together with Columbia University student Chandler Owen, he founded the radical magazine, «The Messenger», in 1917. He organized a union called the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters in 1925, the Pullman Company being a major employer of African Americans. He was a supporter of non-violent means of protest and generally anti-war, fighting discrimination in the armed forces during the 1940's. During the 1950's and 1960's, he served as vice president of the AFL-CIO unions. Along with Bayard Rustin and Martin Luther King, Jr., he helped organize the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963. The following year, he was given a Presidential Medal of Freedom. (Source: "A. Philip Randolph." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 9 Feb 2006, 04:34 UTC. 15 Feb 2006, ‹http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=A._Philip_Randolph&oldid=38873488›.)

At the time of writing, Sammy Reese was in prison and had been on death row in Missouri (he was later re-sentenced to life in prison). Merton notes: "a prisoner [-] electric chair!" Reese was baptised in prison through contact with Merton, some nuns, and Fr. Charles Dismas Clark, known as "the Hoodlum Priest." Reese became an acomplished cartoonist and artist in prison and was at times allowed to teach other prisoners art. He was released on parole in 1976 and died in 1990.

Ad Reinhardt, known as the "black monk of abstract art", graduated Columbia University not long after Merton arrived. He continued to produce art for Columbia's satirical magazine, «The Jester», which was one of the publications in which Merton was involved. Even when Reinhardt considered himself a Communist, Merton saw religious significance in his work. Later, Reinhardt's paintings were influenced by eastern philosophy and Islam. He became an increasing minimalist, using fewer colors until he used only black. Merton treasured a painting of a black on black cross that Reinhardt did for him. Reinhardt visited Gethsemani in the late fifties. (Source: The Thomas Merton Encyclopedia, edited by William Shannon, Christine Bochen, and Patrick O'Connell, pp. 384-385.)

Fr. H. A. Reinhold was a native of Hamburg, Germany. He was part of the Catholic resistance to Hitler and had to escape Germany because he was pursued by the Gestapo. He came to the United States and served first in Seattle and later in Pittsburgh. He laid much of the foundation for liturgical reforms that were being considered in the decades leading up to the Second Vatican Council.

William P. Restivo was president of Bearings for Re-Establishment (BSR), a group that helped former priests, ministers, seminarians and religious re-integrate into the workforce. Merton agreed to serve on Bearing's Board of Advisors in 1967. The national headquarters was in New York.

Kenneth Rexroth was a prolific poet who was the inspiration for many in the Beat Generation of the 1950's, but later breaking with this group. He also wrote literary and radical political criticism, plays, and histories in a populist style. Later in life, he turned away from politics, supporting non-violence and anarchism. He also developed an interest in mysticism. He writes to Merton from San Francisco. (Source: "Rexroth, Kenneth." Obituary from Current Biography. 6 June 1982. Wilson Biographies Plus. Online. H.W. Wilson. Bellarmine University Library, Louisville, KY. 22 Feb. 2006. ‹http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com›.)

Kenneth James Ricardi was a senior at College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. He asks about books that had influenced Merton. Besides ones that had influenced Merton in his youth that are listed in «The Seven Storey Mountain», he mentions that he has more recently been influenced by Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.'s «Stride Toward Freedom».

Edward Rice was one of Merton's friends from Columbia University that also contributed to the university's satirical magazine «The Jester». He was one of the only Catholics in Merton's circle (before the conversion of Lax and others), and he was chosen as Merton's godfather for Merton's baptism in 1938. Ed Rice became a freelance journalist and photographer. He founded the ecumenical and progressive Catholic magazine «Jubilee», to which Merton was a contributor. As a journalist, he traveled throughout the world, sometimes getting into danger, including a threat of disembowelment by Bedouins in Jordan. (Sources: The Thomas Merton Encyclopedia, edited by William Shannon, Christine Bochen, and Patrick O'Connell, pp. 384-385; and Cummings, Mary. "Edward Rice '40: Traveling on Unbeaten Paths." «Columbia College Today». May 2001. Online version. Accessed 22 Feb. 2006. ‹http://www.college.columbia.edu/cct/may01/may01_feature_rice.html›.)

John H. Richards writes from south Wales. He writes about desiring certain aspects of the Christian experience while feeling more of a Buddhist. Merton replies with certain similarities and differences at the essence of the two, a similar response to much of what he says in «Zen and the Birds of Appetite». They also discuss the type of meditation taught at monasteries in Burma.

Francis Roberts was free-lance writer asking for Christmas remembrances from people from many walks of life and in many disciplines for an article he was writing entitled "A Christmas Remembered". Merton replies with a mimeographed version of his last circular letter from Christmas, writing about the Christmas Midnight Mass at the monastery. He removed a few portions of the letter dealing with life in his hermitage because he was trying not to publicize this too much.

Sr. Thomas of God Roberts was a Benedictine sister from Santa Clara, Mexico, writing on behalf of the first seminar of the Commitment Research Institute, which seems to have been affiliated with CIDOC (Centro Intercultural de Documentación) of Cuernavaca, Mexico. Bishop Sergio Méndez Arceo of Cuernavaca was to open the seminar. Ivan Illich was to preside at one day of the seminar, and Daniel Berrigan at another. Merton was invited to speak on commitment in the monastic life.

Fr. Julian Rochford (born Paul Rochford) was a Benedictine priest of Ampleforth Abbey in York, England. He was interested in the action-contemplation dynamic and in aggiornamento, monastic reform. He spent much of his time teaching at Ampleforth College, but also spent time in inner-city ministry. He died at 70 having collided with a car on his motorcycle on his way to preparing some children for their First Holy Communion. (Source: Price, Justin. "Obituary - Fr Julian Rochford 1993." Ampleforth Abbey Information from the Library and Archives [online]. Accessed 23 Feb. 2006. ‹http://www.archive.zenwebhosting.com/sites/obits/barry/rochford_j.htm›.)