At the end of May, after our June issue went to press, we heard the sad news that Donald Oresman, a long-time board member of The New Criterion, had died. We do not recall exactly when Donald came into the orbit of The New Criterion, but in retrospect his presence in our world seems inevitable. There were few serious cultural enterprises in New York in which he was not involved, from the Landmarks Conservancy, on whose board he served for twenty-five years, to the Morgan Library, the Library of America, the Academy of American Poets, and the Roundabout Theatre Company, among many others. Donald took frequent exception to the opinions expressed by the editors of The New Criterion, but he was unflagging in his support of the magazine which, with characteristic understatement, he frequently pronounced the best cultural journal in America. Donald was a gruff, amusing, stalwart supporter of our endeavors, and a good friend to boot. We will miss him. rip.
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Donald Oresman, 1925—2016
This article originally appeared in The New Criterion, Volume 35 Number 1, on page 3
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