Paul Ansel Chadbourne Papers
Scope and Contents
The PAUL A. CHADBOURNE (1823-1883) PAPERS, 1849-1886 comprise correspondence, lectures and sermons, and material collected by the Chadbournes' daughter, Elizabeth.
Series I, CORRESPONDENCE, 1855-1886, consists primarily of letters to Chadbourne when he served as a professor and President of Williams, and letters of condolence to Mrs. Chadbourne upon the death of her husband. This Series includes letters from Cyrus W. Field, E.C. Benedict, James A. Garfield and F.H. Dewey.
Series II, ADDRESSES, LECTURES AND SERMONS, 1850-1881, comprises bound miscellaneous notes, sermons delivered at Williams and other locations, various political and educational addresses, and lectures on religion, science, natural history, education, capitalism and Iceland.
Series III, MISCELLANEOUS, 1849-1884, includes memorials and recollections describing Chadbourne's life, notes from committee meetings at Williams and the Albany Institute, poetry, clippings, Chadbourne's degrees and diplomas, etc.
Dates
- Creation: 1849 - 1886
Conditions Governing Access
The Paul Ansel Chadbourne Papers is open for research. Researchers are encouraged to contact Special Collections staff prior to a visit.
Conditions Governing Use
In consultation with Special Collections staff, reproductions may be made upon request. Material in this collection is in the public domain.
Paul Ansel Chadbourne (1823-1883)
Paul Ansel Chadbourne graduated from Williams College in 1848, taught for fourteen years at the College, and served as its fifth President from 1872 until his resignation in 1881. Chadbourne's specialities were botany, chemistry and natural history. These he taught at Williams, and lectured in at Bowdoin, Mount Holyoke and the Agricultural College at Amherst. For a more detailed and complete biographical sketch, see Fifty Years at Williams: The Story of Paul Ansel Chadbourne, Book 1, by E. Herbert Botsford, located in Box 1/Folder 2 of this collection.
Biographical Chronology
- 1823
- born in North Berwick, ME, October 21
- 1843
- enters Philips Exeter Academy
- 1845
- enters Williams College sophomore class
- 1848
- graduates Valedictorian from Williams
- 1850
- becomes Principal of the high school at Great Falls, NH
- 1851
- marries Elizabeth Sawyer Page of Exeter, NH; elected to a tutorship at Williams in August
- 1852
- becomes Principal of the Academy in East Windsor Hill (now Hartford), CT
- 1853
- becomes Professor of chemistry and botany
- 1855-1859
- leads natural history expeditions
- 1859
- Professor of natural history
- 1865-1866
- State Senator of Massachusetts
- 1867
- President of New Agricultural College at Amherst, MA
- 1869-1872
- President of University of Wisconsin
- 1872
- elected President of Williams College
- 1880
- Presidential elector-at-large
- 1881
- resigns from presidency of Williams College
- 1883
- dies after years of pulmonary trouble, 23 February
Extent
2 Linear Feet (4 boxes)
1 Broadsides (1 oversize folder)
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
Organized into four series: I. Correspondence; II. Addresses, Lectures and Sermons; III. Miscellaneous, IV. Oversize Material.
Physical Location
Library Shelving Facility
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The Chadbourne Papers were donated to Williams College by Paul A. Chadbourne's daughter, Elizabeth M. Chadbourne. Scrapbook materials, now integrated into the collection, were collected and assembled by Elizabeth Chadbourne after her father's death.
Processing Information
Scrapbook materials, now integrated into the collection, were collected and assembled by Elizabeth Chadbourne after her father's death. (See the accession file for an inventory that tracks items removed from this scrapbook to their current locations in the collection.)
Processing Information
Processed by Brenda Favreau (Williams 1985), June 1983.
(See the accession file for an inventory that tracks items removed from this scrapbook to their current locations in the collection.)
- Title
- Paul Ansel Chadbourne Papers
- Author
- Nash, Katie
- Date
- 2017
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the Williams College Archives Repository
Sawyer Library
26 Hopkins Hall Drive
Williamstown, MA 01267
specialcollections@williams.edu