Charles Bennett Gullans; Poet, Literary Scholar

Charles Bennett Gullans, a published poet and literary scholar who taught English at UCLA for more than three decades, has died. He was 63.

Gullans died Tuesday at UCLA Medical Center of respiratory failure three weeks after undergoing surgery for cancer.

His first book of poetry, “Arrivals and Departures,” in 1962 met with critical acclaim that followed him through his sixth and last volume, “Letter from Los Angeles,” in 1990.

He also published bibliographies of two contemporary poets, J. V. Cunningham and Turner Cassity; an edition of the English and Latin poems of the Scottish poet, Sir Robert Aytoun; a translation of prose titled “Last Letters from Stalingrad,” and a translation of poetry called “The Wrong Side of the Rug.”

In 1978, Gullans founded the Symposium Press, which published limited editions of his friends’ writing. For relaxation, the popular poet and scholar read murder mysteries.

Born in Minneapolis on May 5, 1929, Gullans earned a bachelor’s degree with honors from the University of Minnesota when he was only 19. He received his master’s degree from the University of Minnesota and a doctorate from Stanford University, and held a Fulbright Research Scholarship at King’s College, University of Durham, in England.

Gullans taught at the University of Washington before beginning his teaching career at UCLA in 1961.

He is survived by a sister, Lorre J. Mehlinger, of Laguna Hills, and two nephews.

The family has asked that any memorial contributions be sent to Special Collections, UCLA Research Library, Los Angeles, Calif., 90024.