Medievalist, folklorist, linguist, and teacher. A native of Wisconsin and a graduate of the
University of Wisconsin, Utley earned his master’s degree and doctorate from Harvard
University. He joined the English department at Ohio State University in 1935 and
introduced folklore studies there soon after. During Utley’s thirty-nine years at Ohio
State, he facilitated the creation of the Folklore Archives and fostered establishment of
the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies.
Former students remember Utley as a gentle, book-loving man who gave generously
of his time and guidance but demanded academic rigor in return. Many Utley students,
including D.K.Wilgus, Bruce Rosenberg, and W.Edson Richmond, went on to
distinguished careers in folklore. Both Utley’s academic approach to folklore and his inhome seminars reflected the influences of his Harvard mentor, George Lyman Kittredge.
An avid reader and a prolific writer, Utley’s major work, The Crooked Rib, examines
medieval attitudes toward women. Many scholarly articles demonstrate Utley s eclectic
interests, from medieval balladry to Ohio place names, as well as his extensive research
on flood narratives. After his death, Ohio State acquired Utley’s legendary, annotated,
21,000-volume personal library through the generosity of his widow, Ruth Scott Utley.
As president of the American Folklore Society (1951–1952), Udey decried
disciplinary rivalries. He insisted that scientific rigor, aesthetic sensitivity, and holistic
investigation were all essential to the collection, analysis, and documentation of folklore.
An indefatigable scholar and promoter of folklore studies, Udey served in numerous organizations, including as president of the American Name Society (1966) and of the
College English Association (1969).
Donna L.Wyckoff
References
Finnie, Bruce W. 1975. In Memoriam: Francis Lee Utley. Names: Journal ofthe American Name
Society 23:127–129.
Utley, Francis Lee. 1944. The Crooked Rib: An Analytical Index to the Argument about Women in
English and Scots Literature to the End of the Year 1568. Columbus: Ohio State University
Press.
——. 1952. Conflict and Promise in Folklore. Journal of American Folklore 65:111–119.
——. 1953. Three Kinds of Honesty. Journal of American Folklore 66:189–199.
——. 1960. Noah, His Wife, and the Devil. In Studies in Biblical and Jewish Folklore, ed. Raphael
Patai. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, pp. 59–91.