Message regarding the passing of Nathaniel Y. Elliott
Provost Michael R. Halleran sent the following message to the campus community on Dec. 13, 2012 - Ed.
Dear Colleagues – I am sorry to pass along the news that Nathaniel Y. Elliott, III, who taught in the English Department at William & Mary for thirty years, passed away Tuesday, December 11.
Professor Elliott earned his B.S. from the State University of New York at Fredonia, and after service in the U.S. Navy and a stint in the business world, pursued graduate study in English at Syracuse University, where he earned his M.A., and at Cornell University, where he was awarded a Ph.D. in 1967 after completing his dissertation on “The Kailyard School and the Reaction against It.” He began teaching at William & Mary in 1963, while still working for his Ph.D., and quickly proved himself a dedicated and innovative teacher. He served as mentor for younger colleagues who followed his lead in furthering the English Department’s reputation for excellence in teaching. His colleagues in the department remember him for his devotion to his students, his love of Romantic poetry, especially the work of John Keats, his voice of reason and temperance in faculty meetings, and the intense pleasure he took in golfing at the Golden Horseshoe in Williamsburg.
A memorial service, officiated by the Rev. Shirley Smith-Graham and the Rev. Ben Campbell, will be held at St. Martin's Episcopal Church at 3 p.m. on Saturday, December 15. His remains will be interred at St. Martin's immediately following the ceremony. In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory can be made to St. Martin's Episcopal Church or the Chamber Music Society of Williamsburg, PO Box 1526, Williamsburg VA, 23187.
Sincerely,
Michael
