Joel Elias Spingarn (1875 – 1939) was an American educator, literary critic, and civil rights activist. Read more on Wikipedia
Lowry refers to Spingarn in his first novel Ultramarine when Dana Hilliot fantasises about his life and education; "But still I was glad when my book on American literature was published, and, largely owing to Spingarn's friendly review , got me this job here..."
