All Scholars

Edward Fitch was the only English-speaking doctoral student whose dissertation Ulrich von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff ever directed. He devoted his life to teaching young men Greek at provincial Hamilton College in northern New York State. A graduate of the college, he always lived near it and is buried on its grounds. He had two great students, Benjamin D. Meritt and the poet Ezra Pound. He published little, for he had no library and little time; but nothing that he published Was foolish. He was a loyal man, loyal to Hamilton and loyal to his teacher. Fitch resisted the anti-German hysteria of World War I, typified by Paul Shorey and J. A. Scott. Rather, with men like B. L. Gildersleeve and W. A. Oldfather he defended German philology in reviews and in refutations of the excesses of the chauvinists. This earned him the gratitude of his teacher. Wilamowitz cited his dissertation with approval in the most influential book ever written on Hellenistic poetry. His emendatio palmaris at Schol. in Ap. Rhod. 87.13W was accepted both by Wendel and Felix Jacoby ad FGrHist All F 7. His article of 1912 is cited by Hans Herter in RE Suppl. 13 (1973) 43.10-11. That means the highest authorities approved and used his work. Wilamowitz wrote his epitaph: “The American, E. Fitch, earned his doctorate with a valuable dissertation and today is still a good friend of mine, perhaps the only one over there who really knows the Hellenistic poets.”