Through his editorship of literary journals, Paul Carroll promoted the development of the 1950s era Beat poets. While serving as the poetry editor of the Chicago Review, Carroll and editor Irving Rosenthal included controversial rising poets William Burroughs, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Allen Ginsberg, and Jack Kerouac. Although Chicago Review was recognized for avant garde works, University of Chicago's Chancellor Lawrence Kimpton suppressed its Winter 1959 issue leading Carroll and Rosenthal to found a new journal Big Table with increased literary freedom to publish Beat poets. Carroll continued his career as writer, editor, professor and publisher. In 1967, he joined the faculty of University of Illinois at Chicago Circle and founded an influential writing program. Seven years later, he established the Poetry Center at the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art. In his retirement he continued to publish poetry while residing in Watauga County, North Caroilna with his wife Maryrose. Carroll died in 1996.