Burton Pollin

POLLIN--Burton Ralph, of Bronxville, NY, died June 30, 2009. He was 93. Prof. Pollin was born in Worcester, MA, on May 8, 1916. He was graduated from City College of New York and received his Ph.D. from Columbia University. Prof. Pollin had a long career in education and was Professor Emeritus of English, City University of New York. He was the author of more than 12 books and more than 140 articles on many subjects, including William Godwin, Percy Bysshe Shelley and Edgar Allan Poe. He was one of the world's most prominent Poe scholars, and he continued the critical editions of Poe's works of Mabbott and Ostrom. He was a frequent lecturer and subject of press interviews, the recipient of numerous grants and fellowships and a member of numerous scholarly organizations. Prof. Pollin and his wife, Prof. Alice M. Pollin, moved to Bronxville from Manhattan in 1978 and were co-founders of the Bronxville Beautification Committee, among other civic activities. He was an accomplished amateur pianist and had a wide range of interests in the arts and public affairs. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, a daughter, Diana C. Pollin, of Marseilles, France, a son, Myles C. Pollin, of Manhattan, five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his sister, Gladys Bunim, of Miami Beach, FL.