Benjamin Dean Meritt

{{Short description|American classical scholar and epigraphist (1899–1989)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}} '''Benjamin Dean Meritt''' (March 31, 1899 in Durham, North Carolina – July 7, 1989 in Austin, Texas) was a classical scholar, professor and epigraphist of ancient Greece.<ref name=Thompson>{{Cite journal| last = Thompson | first = Homer A. | authorlink = Homer Thompson | title = Benjamin Dean Meritt (March 31, 1899 – July 7, 1989) | journal = Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society | volume = 135 | issue = 1 | year = 1991 | pages = 110–115 | jstor = 987155 }}</ref> He was the older son of Arthur Herbert Meritt, a professor of Greek and Latin at Trinity College (later Duke University).<ref name=Thompson /> His younger brother Herbert Dean Meritt was a professor of English philology at Stanford University.<ref>{{Citation |last=Ackerman |first=Robert W. |chapter=Herbert Dean Meritt: A Biographical Sketch |title=Philological Essays |editor-last=Rosier |editor-first=James L. |date=2019-05-20 |pages=11–12 |chapter-url=https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110820263-002/html |access-date= |publisher=De Gruyter Mouton |language=en |doi=10.1515/9783110820263-002 |isbn=978-3-11-082026-3}}</ref>

Meritt was educated at Hamilton College (B.A. 1920) and Princeton University (M.A. 1923, Ph.D. 1924).<ref name=Thompson/> He was an assistant director of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, is notable for his development of the Athenian Tribute Lists<ref name="MerittTraill1974">{{cite book|author1=Benjamin Dean Meritt|author2=John S. Traill|title=Inscriptions: The Athenian Councillors|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IhCeMQEACAAJ|year=1974|publisher=American School of Classical Studies at Athens|isbn=978-0-87661-215-6}}</ref> and worked extensively on Athenian calendaring.<ref name="Meritt1961">{{cite book|author=Benjamin Dean Meritt|title=The Athenian Year|url=https://archive.org/details/athenianyear0000meri|url-access=registration|date=1 January 1961|publisher=University of California Press|id=GGKEY:PKN5996UGH8}}</ref>

Meritt taught at a number of universities including University of Vermont, Brown University, University of Michigan, Princeton University and the American School of Classical Studies in Athens. In 1935 he became a member of the faculty at the Institute for Advanced Study, a position he would hold until his retirement. That same year, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-02-09 |title=Benjamin Dean Meritt |url=https://www.amacad.org/person/benjamin-dean-meritt |access-date=2023-05-17 |website=American Academy of Arts & Sciences |language=en}}</ref> He was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1938.<ref>{{Cite web |title=APS Member History |url=https://search.amphilsoc.org/memhist/search?creator=Benjamin+Meritt&title=&subject=&subdiv=&mem=&year=&year-max=&dead=&keyword=&smode=advanced |access-date=2023-05-17 |website=search.amphilsoc.org}}</ref> In 1972, he moved with his wife, Lucy Shoe Meritt, to the University of Texas at Austin as a visiting professor. The following year she became a visiting professor as well.

==Selected bibliography== #Benjamin Dean Meritt, H. T. Wade-Gery, and Malcolm Francis McGregor. 1939–1953. ''The Athenian tribute lists''. 4 vol. Cambridge, Mass., Harvard University Press. #Benjamin Dean Meritt and John S. Traill. 1974. ''Inscriptions: the Athenian councillors.'' Princeton, N.J.: American School of Classical Studies at Athens.

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{DBCS}} * [http://www.utexas.edu/faculty/council/2000-2001/memorials/SCANNED/meritt.pdf In Memoriam: Benjamin Dean Merritt], University of Texas at Austin Faculty Council * [https://www.nytimes.com/1989/07/08/obituaries/dr-benjamin-merritt-emeritus-professor-90.html "Dr. Benjamin Merritt, Emeritus Professor, 90." ''New York Times'' July 8, 1989]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Meritt, Benjamin Dean}} Category:1899 births Category:1989 deaths Category:American classical scholars Category:Classical scholars of the Institute for Advanced Study Category:Classical scholars of the University of Texas at Austin Category:Hellenic epigraphers Category:Hamilton College (New York) alumni Category:Princeton University alumni Category:Institute for Advanced Study faculty Category:Corresponding fellows of the British Academy Category:Members of the American Philosophical Society