9 3 1 ▁from ▁Harvard ▁University , ▁where ▁he ▁major ed ▁in ▁Liter ature , ▁foc using ▁on ▁the ▁study ▁of ▁English , ▁Greek , ▁Latin , ▁and ▁French . ▁He ▁later ▁attended ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Pennsylvania , ▁where ▁he ▁earned ▁his ▁Ph . D . ▁in ▁English ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 7 . ▁His ▁doctor al ▁th esis ▁presented ▁a ▁ 1 4 th - century ▁Middle ▁English ▁text , ▁edited ▁by ▁him ▁with ▁an ▁extensive ▁introduction ▁about ▁the ▁text ual ▁editing . ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 9 , ▁professor ▁and ▁Middle ▁English ▁scholar ▁Car leton ▁Brown ▁read ▁his ▁dis sert ation ▁and ▁took ▁it ▁to ▁England ▁and ▁presented ▁it ▁to ▁M abel ▁Day ▁of ▁the ▁Early ▁English ▁Text ▁Society . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 2 , ▁the ▁manuscript ▁was ▁published ▁by ▁the ▁Oxford ▁University ▁Press . ▁ ▁Professional ▁background ▁ ▁Academ ics ▁ ▁Following ▁his ▁gradu ation ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Pennsylvania , ▁Francis ▁joined ▁the ▁fac ulty ▁of ▁Franklin ▁& ▁Marshall ▁College , ▁where ▁he ▁taught ▁English . ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 7 , ▁he ▁head ed ▁a ▁fac ulty ▁committee , ▁which ▁re - evalu ated ▁the ▁college ' s ▁curr icul um . ▁The ▁following ▁year , ▁he ▁was ▁named ▁chair ▁of ▁the ▁English ▁department . ▁His ▁first ▁book , ▁The ▁Str ucture ▁of ▁American ▁English , ▁was ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 8 . ▁His ▁scholar ly ▁work ▁on ▁vari eties ▁of ▁English ▁addition ally ▁included ▁compiling , ▁writing , ▁and ▁editing