George Martin Lane

George Martin Lane (1823–1897) was an American classical scholar who taught Latin at Harvard for nearly fifty years. Born in Charlestown, Massachusetts, he graduated from Harvard in 1846, studied in Germany and took his doctorate at Göttingen in 1851, then returned as University Professor of Latin, a chair he held until 1894. He was known for his precise scholarship, his interest in Latin pronunciation and prosody, and his humorous verses, including the ballad of the lone fishball. His Latin Grammar for Schools and Colleges, the fruit of thirty years' work, was completed after his death by his colleague Morris H. Morgan and published in 1898.