John Lesslie Hall
John Lesslie Hall | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 2, 1856 Richmond, Virginia, United States |
| Died | February 23, 1928 (aged 71) Williamsburg, Virginia, United States |
| Academic background | |
| Alma mater | Randolph-Macon College (BA) Johns Hopkins University (PhD) |
| Thesis | Beowulf, an Anglo-Saxon Epic Poem (1892) |
| Academic work | |
| Discipline | Philology, Old English literature |
| Institutions | College of William & Mary |
John Lesslie Hall (March 2, 1856 – February 23, 1928), also known as J. Lesslie Hall, was an American philologist and translator known primarily for his 1892 verse translation of Beowulf and role as one of the "Seven Wise Men" who helped revive the College of William & Mary after its closure in the early 1880s. He spent nearly forty years on the faculty of William & Mary, serving as professor of English and History, head of the English department and dean of the faculty.
Hall was awarded an honorary degree from William & Mary in 1921. Today, his portrait hangs in the Botetourt Gallery in the College's Swem Library.