Earl Marlatt

Full Name: Earl Bowman Marlatt
Birth/Death: 1892–1976

Earl Bowman Marlatt was an American hymn writer, poet, and scholar, born on May 24, 1892, in Columbus, Indiana, one of twin boys in the family of a Methodist Episcopal minister. Marlatt displayed academic excellence from an early age, graduating Phi Beta Kappa from DePauw University in 1912. He furthered his studies at Harvard University, Boston University, Oxford University in England, and the University of Berlin, demonstrating both intellectual breadth and a deep interest in philosophy, literature, and theology. Following a brief period in newspaper work in Kenosha, Wisconsin, he served his country as a second lieutenant in the field artillery during World War I.

Marlatt pursued a distinguished academic career, joining Boston University in 1923 as an Associate Professor of Philosophy and quickly rising to full Professor. He later became Professor of Literature at the Boston University School of Theology and served as Dean from 1938 to 1945. In 1946 he accepted a position as Professor of Philosophy of Religion at Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. Beyond academia, Marlatt was deeply involved in literary and hymnological circles. He presided over both the Boston Browning Society and the Boston Authors' Club, won the Golden Flower at the May Day Poetry Tournament in Boston in 1925, and contributed widely to American literary journals.

In the realm of hymnody, Marlatt collaborated closely with H. Augustine Smith, providing literary guidance for a series of hymnals in the 1920s, particularly those aimed at young people. He served as associate editor of The American Student Hymnal in 1928 and was a long-standing member of the Executive Committee of the Hymn Society, helping shape the development and dissemination of contemporary hymn texts. His work reflects a fusion of literary skill, theological insight, and pastoral sensitivity, with many of his hymns being characterized by poetic elegance and clarity of devotion. Earl Marlatt passed away on June 13, 1976, in Winchester, Indiana, leaving a legacy as both a scholar and a hymn writer whose contributions continue to influence American worship and hymnology.