ell ▁University ▁for ▁an ▁MA ▁( 1 9 5 0 ) ▁and ▁Ph D ▁in ▁English ▁( 1 9 5 3 ). ▁He ▁worked ▁as ▁an ▁assistant ▁in ▁the ▁Corn ell ▁department ▁and ▁helped ▁to ▁organ ize ▁folk - th emed ▁public ▁events . ▁ ▁From ▁ 1 9 5 5 ▁he ▁taught ▁at ▁Louisiana ▁State ▁University , ▁English ▁department . ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 6 ▁he ▁was ▁among ▁the ▁three ▁found ers ▁of ▁the ▁Louisiana ▁Fol kl ore ▁Society , ▁through ▁which ▁he ▁issued ▁his ▁record ings ▁of ▁folk ▁music ▁from ▁Louisiana , ▁although ▁the ▁society ▁did ▁not ▁fund ▁them . ▁The ▁early ▁material ▁included ▁C aj un ▁music ▁from ▁Mam ou . ▁Louisiana ▁Fol ks ong ▁J amb al aya ▁is ▁a ▁collection ▁of ▁folk ▁songs ▁s ung ▁by ▁himself . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 9 ▁O ster ▁went ▁with ▁New ▁Orleans ▁jazz ▁historian ▁Richard ▁B . ▁Allen ▁to ▁the ▁Louisiana ▁State ▁Pen it enti ary , ▁also ▁known ▁as ▁Ang ola ▁prison , ▁to ▁record ▁African ▁American ▁Blues , ▁Spirit uals ▁s ung ▁by ▁cho irs ▁and ▁solo ists , ▁S erm ons ▁and ▁personal ▁inter views . ▁The ▁mus icians ▁he ▁recorded ▁there ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁include ▁Robert ▁P ete ▁Williams , ▁Ro ose vel t ▁Charles , ▁Hog man ▁Max ey , ▁Ot is ▁Web ster ▁and ▁Robert ▁Gu itar ▁Wel ch , ▁the ▁first ▁of ▁whom ▁was ▁p ardon ed ▁and ▁was ▁to ▁have ▁a ▁remarkable ▁career . ▁The ▁same ▁year ▁he ▁made