June 3, 1978

Frank Stanford, who became one of the most recognized and prolific poets of his generation, died at the age of twenty-nine from self-inflicted gunshot wounds after having confessed infidelity to his wife. Stanford had suffered from depression and had threatened suicide previously. Born on the Mississippi side of the Delta, Stanford entered Subiaco Academy near Paris (Logan County) and later attended the University of Arkansas (UA) in Fayetteville (Washington County). His poetry was published widely in journals and magazines and, in 1977, he published a 15,283-line poem that was highly praised, drawing comparisons with Moby-Dick and Huckleberry Finn. He is buried in Saint Benedictine Cemetery near Subiaco Abbey.