For many years, the English Department’s lounge has been known as the Walt Whitman Room, named after poet Walt Whitman. However, that will be changing this year.

The lounge will be renamed to the Holm & Dacey Lounge after the late SMSU Professors Emeritus Philip Dacey and Bill Holm. Dacey passed away on July 7, 2016 and Holm on Feb. 25, 2009.

Professor of English Mary Ellen Daniloff-Merrill suggested that the Walt Whitman Room be renamed to honor both professors at the first department meeting. The name change was discussed and the faculty unanimously agreed to the name change. New signage for the room has been ordered and will be installed sometime this semester.

Holm taught at SMSU for 27 years and wrote 12 books of poems and essays throughout his career. He was a frequent guest on A Prairie Home Companion. Dacey taught at SMSU for 34 years and directed the creative writing program. He also founded the Marshall Festival, a celebration of rural writing and culture.

Professor of English Marianne Zarzana spoke about the reason for the name change.

“The lounge for SMSU English majors had been named the Walt Whitman Room in the early days of the university as a tribute to one of America’s most influential poets,” Zarzana said. “Now that SMSU has two of its own literary giants, the English faculty thought it was a fitting way to memorialize them.”