1953–54 Volume 78 No 1–5 - Phi Delta Theta Scroll Archive

A Phi Poet Gains
Place in the Sun
THOMAS HORNSBY FERRIL IS CLASSED
WITH SANDBURG, WHITMAN AND BENET
PROBABLY the best work of an American
poet to appear in 1952 was Thomas
Hornsby Ferril's New and Selected Poems,
the work of a Colorado poet who slowly but
surely is gaining his place in the sun."
The foregoing quotation from the section
on Poetry is taken from The World
Book Encyclopedia, 1953 Annual Supplement,
published by the Field Enterprises,
Inc. And the poet to whom it refers is a
Phi—Thomas Hornsby Ferril, Colorado College
'18.
Brother Ferril's fame as a writer is not
limited to the good reviews he has had
on New and Selected Poems (Harper &
Brothers), because he is the author of three
other books of poetry: High Passage and
Westering (Yale University Press), and Trial
by Time (Harper). He has also had published
by Harper one book of prose essays
entitled / Hate Thursday, which was illustrated
by his daughter, Anne Folsom, who
also illustrated Mrs. Ferril's first and second
Indoor Bird Watcher's Manual. Many
SCROLL readers will also remember the department,
"Western Half-Acre," which Mr.
Ferril conducted for some time in Harper's
Magazine.
A native of Denver, Thomas Hornsby
Ferril entered Colorado College in the Fall
of 1914 and was initiated as No. 68 on the
Bond Roll of Colorado Beta Chapter of
*A0 on Feb. 6, 1915. After serving as an
officer in the Air Service, following graduation,
he entered newspaper work in Denver.
Since 1926 he has been employed by the
Great Western Sugar Company, most of his
activity being devoted to educational work
in agriculture. Since 1939 he and his wife,
Helen R. Ferril, have published and edited
The Rocky Mountain Herald, pioneer
weekly, founded in i860.
Long a writer. Brother Ferril met his
greatest success with his New and Selected
['73]
THOMAS HORNSBY FERRIL, Colorado College '18
"A man is as tall as his height
Plus the height of his home town.
I know a Denverite
Who, measured from sea to crown.
Is one mile five-foot-ten.
And he swings a commensurate pen."
—ROBERT FROST
Poems. Comments such as the following by
eminent critics leave no doubt on this score.
JOHN HOLMES, New York Times:
These poems read aloud with great impact. Mr.
Ferril is balladist, dramatist and lyricist. This book
is clearly one of the rich rewards, and should be
marked as such, for prizes and for pleasure.
CARL SANDBURG, press conference, Chicago;
North Side Sunday Star:
I read and would highly recommend Thomas
Hornsby Ferril's New and Selected Poems. He's one
of the poets who isn't included in the anthologies,
but he has far more on the ball as far as I'm concerned
than most people that are included. He's
terrifically and beautifully American."
SARA HENDERSON HAY, The Saturday Review
of Literature: