Walter Harding (1917–1996) was a distinguished professor of English at the State University of New York at Geneseo and internationally recognized scholar of the life and work of Henry David Thoreau.
He served as the chair of Geneseo's English Department for six years and was awarded several of SUNY's highest honors.
[4] In addition to the research collection that bears his name, Harding's impact on Thoreau scholarship and SUNY Geneseo is registered in several ways.
Each fall, the Walter Harding Lecture brings a distinguished scholar of American literature related to Thoreau and his circle of transcendentalists to the campus.
[5] Geneseo's English Department holds meetings, special events, and lectures in the Walter Harding Room of Welles Hall, and the department annually awards the Walter Harding American Studies Award to a graduating senior in the American studies program.