Robert Churchill Francis (1901-1987) moved to Amherst, Massachusetts in 1926 to teach high school English. The teaching job lasted a single year; writing became his life's work. Francis was the recipient of numerous awards and honors throughout his writing career including the Golden Rose of the New England Poetry Club (1942-43), and fellowships from Breadloaf (1936), the American Academy in Rome (1957-58), and the Academy of American Poets (1984). He is best known for his volumes of poetry and his numerous contributions to journals and magazines. His first book, <em>Stand With Me Here</em>, was published in 1936. The last book to be published during his lifetime was <em>Traveling in Amherst: A Poet's Journal</em> (1986).
Four years after Francis's death in 1987, the trustees of his estate transferred his personal archives to The Jones Library. The collection includes letters, typescripts, galley proofs and published works (including signed first editions), anthologies, poems and essays in periodicals, photographs, and audio and video recordings.
