Cross, Wilbur (Lucius) (1862-1948)

US academic and Democratic governor. He taught English at Yale 1894-1930. After retiring, he was elected governor of Connecticut 1931-39. He sponsored public works and relief programs, reduced utility rates, reorganized state government, and established a highway system.

He was born in Gurleyville, Connecticut. He studied English literature at Yale, receiving his PhD in 1889. As editor of the Yale Review in 1911, he transformed it into a national quarterly of literature and public affairs. As dean of the Yale Graduate School 1916-30, he attracted scholars and built a graduate school quadrangle. He published several important works including The Development of the English Novel (1889), The Life and Times of Laurence Sterne (1909), and The History of Henry Fielding (1918). He also headed the American Academy of Arts and Letters 1931-41.