Harriet Ewens Beck, class of 1910, developed a lifelong love of poetry after studying high school English with Willa Cather in Pittsburgh. Upon her passing, her husband Gordon C. Beck (class of 1906), arrived on campus in 1960 and announced to Paul Bennett of the English Department, "I want to establish an enduring monument to Harriet, something that will honor her interest in writing." Beck pledged to fund the endowment and then, over a lunch of peanut butter crackers and chocolate chip cookies in the Student Union, the two men outlined the plans of what would become one of most vibrant and dynamic reading series on any campus in this country.
The Beck Series first visitor was Eudora Welty, whose four-day visit came in April of 1964. She met with faculty, visited classes, and conferenced with students about their manuscripts. That first visit set the tone and template that defines the Beck Series. Visitors to Denison’s campus continue to share their work in public readings, meet with creative writing classes and the campus community, and work with students in one-on-one manuscript consultations or lead workshops.
The generous gift from the Beck family has brought to Denison more than twenty United States’ Poet Laureate and more than twenty-five winners of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, including Robert Olen Butler, Louise Erdrich, Richard Ford, Aleksander Hemon, Steven Millhauser, Joyce Carol Oates, Mark Strand, Derek Walcott, Alice Walker, Eudora Welty, and many more.