John Bascom
John Bascom image
Born(1827-05-01)May 1, 1827
Genoa, New York
DiedOctober 27, 1911(1911-10-27) (aged 84)
Williamstown, Massachusetts
Occupation(s)President, University of Wisconsin, 1874 to 1887
Signature
John Bascom signature

John Bascom (May 1, 1827 – October 2, 1911) was an American professor, college president and writer.

Life

He was born on May 1, 1827, in Genoa, New York, and was a graduate of Williams College with the class of 1849. He graduated from the Andover Theological Seminary in 1855.[1] Aside from the degrees he received in those places, he held many other scholarly and honorary degrees. He was professor of rhetoric at Williams College from 1855 to 1874, and was president of the University of Wisconsin from 1874 to 1887. He retired in 1903[1] and died in Williamstown, Massachusetts, on October 2, 1911.[2][3]

He was the author of some thirty or forty books. He said in his biography the books cost him more money than he ever received from their publication. But he also included that he was glad to have written them and is only sorry that he could not have been of more service to his fellow men. He greatly influenced Senator Robert M. La Follette, Sr. during the latter's time at the University of Wisconsin.

In 1853, John married Abbie Burt, who died shortly thereafter. John then wed Emma Curtiss, to whom he was married for over fifty years. Their three children, Jean, George and Florence, all graduated from the University of Wisconsin.[4]

Legacy and honors

Bascom Hill and Bascom Hall on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison are both named for him. Bascom House, the home of the Williams College Office of Admissions, is also named for Bascom.[5]

During World War II the Liberty ship SS John Bascom was built in Panama City, Florida, and named in his honor.[6]

See also

Relatives of note

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Books and articles

Many of these are in the public domain and fully viewable at Google Books.

References

  1. ^ a b Chisholm 1911.
  2. ^ "Bascom, John 1827 - 1911". Dictionary of Wisconsin History. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved January 17, 2012.
  3. ^ "Presidents and Chancellors of the University of Wisconsin–Madison". University of Wisconsin. Archived from the original on February 4, 2009. Retrieved January 17, 2012.
  4. ^ Eliot, Samuel Atkins (1911). Biographical history of Massachusetts: biographies and autobiographies of the leading men in the state, Volume 1. Massachusetts Biographical Society.
  5. ^ "Bascom House". Williams College Facilities. Archived from the original on 16 January 2014. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
  6. ^ Williams, Greg H. (25 July 2014). The Liberty Ships of World War II: A Record of the 2,710 Vessels and Their Builders, Operators and Namesakes, with a History of the Jeremiah O'Brien. McFarland. ISBN 978-1476617541. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
Attribution

Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Bascom, John" . Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.

Further reading

External links

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Academic offices Preceded byJohn H. Twombly President of the University of Wisconsin 1874-1887 Succeeded byThomas Chamberlin
Chancellors and presidents of the University of Wisconsin–Madison
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