Christopher R. Fee

Christopher R. Fee
Name	Christopher R. Fee
Birth place	United States
Occupation	Medievalist, Philologist, Professor
Employer	Gettysburg College
Alma mater	University of Pennsylvania

Christopher R. Fee is an American medievalist, philologist, and scholar of Old English literature and language. He is a professor known for work on Anglo-Saxon glossaries, manuscript studies, and the reception of medieval texts in modern culture. His career spans teaching, editorial work, and public engagement with medievalism through museums, media, and popular exhibitions.

Early life and education

Fee studied medieval studies and linguistics through programs connected to institutions such as the University of Pennsylvania, the Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Toronto programs in medieval studies. His formation involved work with scholars associated with the Medieval Academy of America, the Society for Medieval Feminist Scholarship, and research resources from the British Library, the Bodleian Library, and the Bibliothèque nationale de France. He trained in paleography and codicology using collections at the Newberry Library, the Folger Shakespeare Library, and the Morgan Library & Museum.

Academic career

Fee has held faculty positions at liberal arts colleges and directed programs linking institutions including Gettysburg College, the Newberry Library Center for Renaissance Studies, and the Folger Institute. He has taught in departments related to Classics, English literature, and Medieval Studies while participating in conferences at the International Medieval Congress, the Medieval Academy of America annual meeting, and symposia organized by the Renaissance Society of America and the Modern Language Association. His administrative roles have connected him with the American Council of Learned Societies, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and campus initiatives modeled on programs from the Council on Undergraduate Research.

Research and publications

Fee’s scholarship addresses Old English lexicography, manuscript annotation, and the cultural afterlives of medieval texts. He has published on topics relating to the Beowulf manuscript, the Exeter Book, and glosses found in collections like the Cotton Library and the Saxo Grammaticus corpus. His articles appear alongside contributions in volumes from presses such as the Cambridge University Press, the Oxford University Press, the Harvard University Press, and the University of Pennsylvania Press. He has written on the reception of Anglo-Saxon material culture with reference to exhibitions at the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and analyses tied to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Fee’s editorial work includes collaborations with scholars associated with the Early English Text Society, the Society for the Study of Medieval Languages and Literature, and the International Society of Anglo-Saxonists.

Teaching and mentoring

Fee’s courses have covered topics such as Old English language, medieval literature, and paleography; syllabi draw on primary manuscripts from the Bodleian Library, the British Library, the Library of Congress, and the Vatican Library. He has supervised theses in fields connected to scholars at Princeton University, Yale University, Columbia University, and Harvard University. His mentorship has prepared students for graduate programs funded by institutions like the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Rhodes Trust, and the Fulbright Program. Fee has directed study-abroad programs engaging sites such as Canterbury Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, and the Tower of London.

Professional affiliations and service

Fee is active in professional organizations including the Medieval Academy of America, the International Medieval Institute, and the Early English Text Society. He has participated in peer review for journals such as Speculum, Medium Ævum, Anglo-Saxon England, and The Journal of English and Germanic Philology, and has served on panels at the International Congress on Medieval Studies and the World Congress of Medieval Studies. His service includes grant review panels for the National Endowment for the Humanities, fellowship committees at the American Council of Learned Societies, and advisory roles connected to the Smithsonian Institution and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.

Media appearances and public outreach

Fee has appeared in broadcasts and podcasts produced by outlets such as NPR, the BBC, and the History Channel to discuss topics ranging from Beowulf to Anglo-Saxon art. He has contributed to museum catalogues for exhibitions at the British Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Museum of London, and participated in public lectures hosted by the Society of Antiquaries of London, the Royal Historical Society, and the American Philosophical Society. Fee has also engaged in collaborations with documentary filmmakers associated with PBS, the Discovery Channel, and independent producers focusing on medieval studies, and he has written essays for venues affiliated with the Getty Museum and the Morgan Library & Museum.

Category:American medievalists Category:Old English scholars