academia. He ran for Congress and was an en-
thusiastic Progressive Party member. He taught
comparative literature at Columbia, where he
honed his reputation as an expert on the Italian
philosopher Benedetto Croce, but his decision to
support a dismissed colleague resulted in his own
firing in 1911.
Spingarn was one of the leading white sup-
porters of the NAACP. He worked closely with the
organization and held a number of influential posi-
tions. In 1913 he began a six-year term as chair-
man of the board of trustees. He became treasurer
of the organization in 1919 and held the post until
1930, when he was appointed president. He held
that post until his death in 1939. His brother
ARTHURSPINGARN, an accomplished lawyer, suc-
ceeded Spingarn as president. During his decades
of service with the NAACP, Spingarn dedicated
substantial funds to efforts that would recognize
African-American leadership. In 1913 he estab-
lished a trust fund for the SPINGARNMEDAL, the
highest prize that the NAACP awarded in recogni-
tion of high achievement and leadership by an
African American. Spingarn also offered direct
support to aspiring and established artists of the
Harlem Renaissance. It was he who introduced
CLAUDEMCKAY’s work to SEVEN ARTS editors
JAMESOPPENHEIMand WALDOFRANK. McKay’s
work, which was published in the December 1917
issue, represented a landmark in American pub-
lishing history when Seven Artsbecame the first
white literary magazine of the period to publish the
work of a writer of color.
Spingarn had a rich and multifaceted career
before and during the years of the Harlem Renais-
sance. He was a highly regarded expert on the
clematis and was one of the founding members of
the American Legion. In addition, Spingarn’s ca-
reer also included World War II military service and
work as the owner and publisher of the Amenia
Timesand as an overseer of two active mills. He
was a cofounder of the publishing company HAR-
COURT,BRACE&COMPANY, which was established
in 1919, and served as a literary adviser for the firm
until his retirement in 1932.
Joel Spingarn died in July 1939. THENEW
YORKTIMESobituary for Spingarn hailed him as an
“uncompromising critic in diverse fields” and a
man who “fought for Negro rights.”Bibliography
“J. E. Spingarn Dies; Author and Critic.” New York
Times,27 July 1939, 25.
Ross, B. Joyce. J. E. Spingarn and the Rise of the NAACP,
1911–1939.New York: Atheneum, 1972.
Van Deusen, Marshall. J. E. Spingarn.New York: Twayne
Publishers, 1971.Spingarn Medal
A prestigious award and the highest honor be-
stowed by the NATIONALASSOCIATION FOR THE
ADVANCEMENT OFCOLOREDPEOPLE(NAACP).
JOELSPINGARN, literary critic, activist, and COLUM-
BIAUNIVERSITYprofessor, established the award in
1914 while he was chairman of the NAACP’s
board of directors. Spingarn ensured the long-term
existence of the prize by dedicating a $20,000 trust
fund for the prize. The Spingarn Medal, which also
carried initially a prize of $100, recognized out-
standing achievements by African Americans. TheSpingarn Medal 493Philanthropist, professor, and longtime chairman of the
NAACP Board of Directors, Joel Spingarn. The portrait,
inscribed to James Weldon Johnson, is offered “with
warm friendship and admiration of J. E. Spingarn.”
(Yale Collection of American Literature, Beinecke Rare
Book and Manuscript Library)