TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – E. Robert Loomis, long-time professor of English at The University of Alabama, died Monday, Feb.19 at his home after an extended illness. He was 73.
Graveside funeral services will be held Wednesday, Feb. 21, at 10:30 a.m., at Tuscaloosa Memorial Park.
Loomis’ career at UA spanned 35 years, during which he taught a wide range of English courses, including composition, the history of English literature, and Romantic literature. His poetry and critical essays were published in journals and anthologies including American Quarterly, Nineteenth-Century Fiction, and the Philological Quarterly.
Loomis is perhaps best known, however, for his dedication to his students and to teaching. “Professor Loomis had an enormous and devoted following of undergraduate students, said Dr. Salli Davis, chair of UA’s department of English. “Aside from his specialty in romantic literature, his Interim term course on the literature of the supernatural was perennially popular. He will be fondly remembered by several generations of University alumni.”
A native of Danville, Va., Loomis joined the UA faculty in 1958. He received a Ph.D. in English from Florida State University in 1957, a master’s degree from Emory University in 1951, and a bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, from Wofford College in 1949. His professional affiliations included the Modern Language Association, the South Atlantic Modern Language Association and the South-Central Language Association, among others. Loomis retired from UA in 1993.
Loomis is survived by his wife, Betty Howell Loomis. Memorials may be made to the Hospice of West Alabama or the American Cancer Society.
Contact
Rebecca Paul Florence, (205) 348-8663