Maurice J. Quinlan was born in 1904 in East Hampton, Connecticut. As a young man he attended Yale University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in 1926. After briefly considering a career in medicine, Quinlan decided to pursue his interest in English literature at Columbia University and received his doctorate in 1943.

Quinlan enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War II, and after his discharge he embarked upon a career in teaching. He taught at several institutions, including Dartmouth College, St. Joseph’s College in West Hartford, Connecticut, St. Thomas College in St. Paul, Minnesota, and Lehigh University. The majority of Quinlan's years as an academic were spent at Boston College, where he lectured for twenty years until retiring in 1974. Quinlan lived in the Boston area and spent summers in Enfield, New Hampshire. He was also an avid traveler.

Quinlan’s academic interest focused on eighteenth-century English literature. He wrote three books and a number of articles and was a prominent member of the Johnson Society of London. His major works include, Victorian Prelude: a History of English Manners, 1700-1830 (1941), William Cowper, a Critical Life (1953), and Samuel Johnson: A Layman’s Religion (1964).

Quinlan died in Newton, Massachusetts in 1987.

Sources:

"Maurice Quinlan, 82: Was Boston College Professor." Boston Globe (1960-1988), Feb 13, 1987.