▁people , ▁served ▁as ▁cl erk ▁and ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁local ▁school ▁board , ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁par ole ▁officer , ▁organized ▁a ▁local ▁men ' s ▁club ▁and ▁a ▁parent - te acher ▁association . ▁He ▁also ▁lect ured ▁in ▁American ▁regional ▁literature ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Wisconsin ▁and ▁was ▁a ▁contrib uting ▁editor ▁of ▁Out do ors ▁Magazine . ▁ ▁With ▁long time ▁friend ▁Donald ▁W and rei , ▁Der le th ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁founded ▁Ark ham ▁House . ▁ ▁Its ▁initial ▁objective ▁was ▁to ▁publish ▁the ▁works ▁of ▁H . ▁P . ▁Love craft , ▁with ▁whom ▁Der le th ▁had ▁correspond ed ▁since ▁his ▁te en age ▁years . ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁he ▁began ▁teaching ▁a ▁course ▁in ▁American ▁Regional ▁Liter ature ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Wisconsin . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁he ▁became ▁literary ▁editor ▁of ▁The ▁Capital ▁Times ▁newspaper ▁in ▁Mad ison , ▁a ▁post ▁he ▁held ▁until ▁his ▁res ignation ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 0 . ▁His ▁h obb ies ▁included ▁f encing , ▁sw imming , ▁ch ess , ▁phil ately ▁and ▁com ic - st ri ps ▁( Der le th ▁reported ly ▁used ▁the ▁fund ing ▁from ▁his ▁G ug gen heim ▁Fellow ship ▁to ▁bind ▁his ▁com ic ▁book ▁collection , ▁most ▁recently ▁val ued ▁in ▁the ▁millions ▁of ▁dollars , ▁rather ▁than ▁to ▁travel ▁abroad ▁as ▁the ▁award ▁intended .). ▁ ▁Der le th ' s ▁true ▁av ocation ,