Dr. John Spalding Gatton

John Spalding Gatton died peacefully on March 11, 2025.
Born in Louisville, John developed a passion for theatre at a very young age, a passion that stayed with him throughout his life as an actor, director, and professor. As a child, he was part of the original cast of Louisville Children's Theatre (now StageOne) and appeared in Kentucky Shakespeare productions during its early years for 10 summer seasons.
John graduated from Saint Xavier High School and attended Catholic University in Washington D.C. where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, graduating Cum Laude with a degree in Drama in 1969. While at Catholic University, he was a manager and member of a South American touring company with stops in Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, and Brazil.
Following his undergraduate degree, John earned an MA from Trinity College Dublin in 1973 studying Shakespearean Drama. He taught English as a Second Language at the Institute for English Language Studies in Dublin from 1973 to 1975 before moving to Paris, France to teach ESL and Drama at the International Language Centre until the fall of 1975 when he returned home to Louisville to teach English at St. Xavier High School.
In 1981, John earned a Ph.D. from the University of Kentucky on a Haggin Fellowship where he studied the works of Lord Byron under the direction of Dr. John Clubbe. Upon completion of his dissertation, titled Lord Byron's Historical Tragedies: A Study in Form, he taught at UK in the English and Honors Departments from 1981 to 1987. John taught in the English Department at the Virginia Military Institute for two years, under the rank of Major, before taking his final teaching job at Bellarmine College, now Bellarmine University.
A beloved professor at Bellarmine, John taught in the English Department for over 30 years, earning the Faculty Merit Award for the 1995-96 academic year and Teacher of the Year award twice for the 1990-91 and 1997-98 academic years. He served as faculty advisor to Ariel, Bellarmine's Literary Society, since its founding in 1989, and guided students in the production of the Society's literary magazine, Ariel. He directed numerous student plays while at Bellarmine, including The Diary of Adam and Eve, Agnes of God (written by his friend John Pielmeier), Love Letters, Eleemosynary, A Walk in the Woods, Lonely Planet, and two productions of Zoo Story by Edward Albee. He was recognized as Professor Emeritus upon his retirement from Bellarmine in 2018 and continued to teach Shakespeare part time at the school until 2020. He was beloved by his colleagues and enriched the lives of generations of students.
John was a member of the Modern Language Association, the South Atlantic Modern Language Association, the University of Kentucky Library Association, and the Kentucky Historical Society. He taught a series of lectures to Elderhostel (now Road Scholar) on Kentucky Authors and served on the board of directors for the Kentucky Branch of the English-Speaking Union. In retirement, he continued his scholarship as a revered member of The Byron Society where he served on the board of directors as treasurer and delivered papers internationally at annual meetings.
He was preceded in death by his father Delbert Johnson Gatton and Anne Spalding Gatton.
Visitation will be Wednesday, March 26th, from 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm at Highlands Funeral Home, 3331 Taylorsville Road. At 6:30 pm, the family will provide an opportunity for anyone who wishes to share memories.
His funeral Mass will be 11:00 am, Thursday at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, 1960 Bardstown Road, Louisville, KY.
In lieu of flowers, gifts of condolence may be made to Kentucky Shakespeare or the Fairness Campaign.