Joseph Cogswell
Encyclopedia
Joseph Green Cogswell was a librarian
, bibliographer
and an innovative educator.
education in Ipswich, and attended Phillips Exeter Academy
. He graduated from Harvard
in 1806, and studied law from 1807 to 1809. After making a voyage to India
as supercargo
of the vessel in which he sailed, Cogswell studied law
with Fisher Ames in Dedham
, and practised for a few years in Belfast, Maine
. In 1812 he married Mary, the daughter of Gov. John Taylor Gilman
. She died in 1813. Her death, and a distaste for the profession, led him to abandon the practice of law.
From 1813 till 1815 he was a tutor at Harvard. In 1816 he went to Europe
, and, in company with George Ticknor
, spent two years at the University of Göttingen, where he paid special attention to the methods and principles of instruction. Two more years were passed in Europe, chiefly on the continent, in the principal capitals, and in the study of educational problems and bibliography. During part of this time, Edward Everett
was his companion. He was, with his friend Ticknor, the guest of Sir Walter Scott
, at Abbotsford
. He also contributed to Blackwood's Magazine
(February, March 1819) two anonymous essays critically examining education in the United States.
, the historian, established Round Hill School
at Northampton, Massachusetts
. The plan of the institution was novel, and based on an examination of the best English and German systems of education. After Bancroft's departure from the school in 1830, Cogswell continued the work. It was too much for him alone, and he closed the doors of the school in 1834. He then assumed the charge of a similar institution in Raleigh, North Carolina
. Ill health and incompatibility with Southern culture led to his resignation after two years at Raleigh.
(father of Julia Ward Howe
and Samuel Cutler Ward
) in New York City
. Three of Ward's sons had been students at Round Hill School. Cogswell also became editor of the New York Review, one of the leading American critical journals of the time. He remained as editor until its suspension in 1842. Through Ward, he became the friend and companion of John Jacob Astor
, upon whom he urged the project of a library. Succeeding in this promotion, Cogswell, in conjunction with Astor, Washington Irving
and Fitz-Greene Halleck
, arranged the plan of the Astor Library
. With Halleck, Irving, and others, Cogswell was appointed a trustee of the fund for its creation.
When Washington Irving was appointed minister to Spain, he was anxious that his friend Cogswell should accompany him as secretary of legation, and accordingly wrote to Washington, requesting his appointment. “He is,” said Irving, “a gentleman with whom I am on terms of confidential intimacy, and I know no one who, by his various acquirements, his prompt sagacity, his knowledge of the world, his habits of business, and his obliging disposition, is so calculated to give me that counsel, aid, and companionship, so important in Madrid, where a stranger is more isolated than in any other capital of Europe.”
Cogswell received the appointment, and would probably have accepted it, but, Astor finding that he was likely to lose his invaluable services, made him superintendent of the embryo library. After the rich merchant's death, in 1848, he went abroad to purchase books; and it may safely be said that no library in the land was founded with more discrimination and economy. Just by 1900, the books he purchased would have sold for ten times the amount that he expended, and many of them could not have been purchased at any price. His general bibliographical knowledge was of great service to the Astor Library
, one great work undertaken by him being the preparation of an analytical and alphabetical catalogue of the collection. He also gave the Astor Library his own valuable series of works relating to bibliography, as he had before united with a friend in presenting Harvard with a rare cabinet of minerals and numerous botanical specimens.
He continued the duties of superintendent, which he performed with singular industry and fidelity, until the pressure of advancing years induced him to retire in 1861. Two years later, having chosen a residence at Cambridge, he also resigned the office of trustee. In accepting his resignation, the board passed a resolution highly complimentary to his talents, great learning, and spotless character. All who enjoyed the privilege of Cogswell's acquaintance, and the thousands of seekers after information who remember the patience and urbanity with which he was ever ready to aid them in their researches, will most cordially unite in the richly merited tribute to his learning, amiability, and unsullied life.
While his physical strength gradually failed, his intellectual powers remained unimpaired, and his sparkling table talk was as interesting as in earlier years. He had, in his frequent visits to Europe, met many of the most distinguished men of the 19th century, including Johann von Goethe, Alexander von Humboldt
, Pierre-Jean de Béranger
, Lord Byron, Walter Scott, Jeffrey, and the brilliant circle that thronged Gore House
in Lady Blessington's palmy days. From his moderate fortune, Cogswell left $4,000 to a school in Ipswich, where he was buried by the side of his mother's grave, and where a handsome monument was erected by his Round Hill pupils, no one of whom ever left the school without carrying away with him a strong affection for the faithful friend and teacher.
He received the degree of LL.D. from Trinity in 1842, and from Harvard in 1863. He was a frequent contributor to the magazines, including Blackwood's, North American Review
, Monthly Anthology
, and New York Review.
Librarian
A librarian is an information professional trained in library and information science, which is the organization and management of information services or materials for those with information needs...
, bibliographer
Bibliographer
"A bibliographer is a person who describes and lists books and other publications, with particular attention to such characteristics as authorship, publication date, edition, typography, etc. The result of this endeavor is a bibliography...
and an innovative educator.
Education
Cogswell received a grammar schoolGrammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
education in Ipswich, and attended Phillips Exeter Academy
Phillips Exeter Academy
Phillips Exeter Academy is a private secondary school located in Exeter, New Hampshire, in the United States.Exeter is noted for its application of Harkness education, a system based on a conference format of teacher and student interaction, similar to the Socratic method of learning through asking...
. He graduated from Harvard
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1806, and studied law from 1807 to 1809. After making a voyage to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
as supercargo
Supercargo
Supercargo is a term in maritime law that refers to a person employed on board a vessel by the owner of cargo carried on the ship...
of the vessel in which he sailed, Cogswell studied law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
with Fisher Ames in Dedham
Dedham, Massachusetts
Dedham is a town in and the county seat of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 24,729 at the 2010 census. It is located on Boston's southwest border. On the northwest it is bordered by Needham, on the southwest by Westwood and on the southeast by...
, and practised for a few years in Belfast, Maine
Belfast, Maine
Belfast is a city in Waldo County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 6,668. Located at the mouth of the Passagassawakeag River on Penobscot Bay, Belfast is the county seat of Waldo County...
. In 1812 he married Mary, the daughter of Gov. John Taylor Gilman
John Taylor Gilman
John Taylor Gilman was a farmer, shipbuilder, and statesman from Exeter, New Hampshire. He represented New Hampshire in the Continental Congress in 1782-1783 and was Governor of New Hampshire for 14 years, from 1794 to 1805, and from 1813 to 1816.Gilman was born in Exeter, New Hampshire, to a...
. She died in 1813. Her death, and a distaste for the profession, led him to abandon the practice of law.
From 1813 till 1815 he was a tutor at Harvard. In 1816 he went to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, and, in company with George Ticknor
George Ticknor
George Ticknor was an American academician and Hispanist, specializing in the subject areas of languages and literature. He is known for his scholarly work on the history and criticism of Spanish literature....
, spent two years at the University of Göttingen, where he paid special attention to the methods and principles of instruction. Two more years were passed in Europe, chiefly on the continent, in the principal capitals, and in the study of educational problems and bibliography. During part of this time, Edward Everett
Edward Everett
Edward Everett was an American politician and educator from Massachusetts. Everett, a Whig, served as U.S. Representative, and U.S. Senator, the 15th Governor of Massachusetts, Minister to Great Britain, and United States Secretary of State...
was his companion. He was, with his friend Ticknor, the guest of Sir Walter Scott
Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet was a Scottish historical novelist, playwright, and poet, popular throughout much of the world during his time....
, at Abbotsford
Abbotsford House
Abbotsford is a historic house in the region of the Scottish Borders in the south of Scotland, near Melrose, on the south bank of the River Tweed. It was formerly the residence of historical novelist and poet, Walter Scott...
. He also contributed to Blackwood's Magazine
Blackwood's Magazine
Blackwood's Magazine was a British magazine and miscellany printed between 1817 and 1980. It was founded by the publisher William Blackwood and was originally called the Edinburgh Monthly Magazine. The first number appeared in April 1817 under the editorship of Thomas Pringle and James Cleghorn...
(February, March 1819) two anonymous essays critically examining education in the United States.
Educator
Returning to the United States in 1820, he was appointed professor of geology and mineralogy, and college librarian at Harvard. In 1823, having resigned his chair in Harvard, he, in connection with George BancroftGeorge Bancroft
George Bancroft was an American historian and statesman who was prominent in promoting secondary education both in his home state and at the national level. During his tenure as U.S. Secretary of the Navy, he established the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis in 1845...
, the historian, established Round Hill School
Round Hill School
The Round Hill School for Boys in Northampton, Massachusetts, founded by George Bancroft and Joseph Cogswell in 1823, though it failed as a viable venture — it closed in 1834 — was an early effort to elevate secondary education in the United States for the sons of the New England elite...
at Northampton, Massachusetts
Northampton, Massachusetts
The city of Northampton is the county seat of Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of Northampton's central neighborhoods, was 28,549...
. The plan of the institution was novel, and based on an examination of the best English and German systems of education. After Bancroft's departure from the school in 1830, Cogswell continued the work. It was too much for him alone, and he closed the doors of the school in 1834. He then assumed the charge of a similar institution in Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
. Ill health and incompatibility with Southern culture led to his resignation after two years at Raleigh.
Editor and librarian
In 1836, he entered the family of banker Samuel WardSamuel Ward (banker)
Samuel Ward was a United States banker.-Biography:His father was also named Samuel Ward. The father was a soldier in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, and a merchant afterwards...
(father of Julia Ward Howe
Julia Ward Howe
Julia Ward Howe was a prominent American abolitionist, social activist, and poet, most famous as the author of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic".-Biography:...
and Samuel Cutler Ward
Samuel Cutler Ward
Samuel Ward , was a poet, author, and gourmet, and in the years after the Civil War he was widely known as the "King of the Lobby." He combined delicious food, fine wines, and good conversation to create a new type of lobbying in Washington, DC—social lobbying—over which he reigned for...
) in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Three of Ward's sons had been students at Round Hill School. Cogswell also became editor of the New York Review, one of the leading American critical journals of the time. He remained as editor until its suspension in 1842. Through Ward, he became the friend and companion of John Jacob Astor
John Jacob Astor
John Jacob Astor , born Johann Jakob Astor, was a German-American business magnate and investor who was the first prominent member of the Astor family and the first multi-millionaire in the United States...
, upon whom he urged the project of a library. Succeeding in this promotion, Cogswell, in conjunction with Astor, Washington Irving
Washington Irving
Washington Irving was an American author, essayist, biographer and historian of the early 19th century. He was best known for his short stories "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle", both of which appear in his book The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. His historical works...
and Fitz-Greene Halleck
Fitz-Greene Halleck
Fitz-Greene Halleck was an American poet notable for his satires and as one of the Knickerbocker Group. Born and reared in Guilford, Connecticut, he went to New York City at the age of 20, and lived and worked there for nearly four decades. He was sometimes called "the American Byron"...
, arranged the plan of the Astor Library
Astor Library
The Astor Library was a free public library developed primarily through the collaboration of New York merchant John Jacob Astor and New England educator and bibliographer Joseph Cogswell. It was primarily meant as a research library, and its books did not circulate...
. With Halleck, Irving, and others, Cogswell was appointed a trustee of the fund for its creation.
When Washington Irving was appointed minister to Spain, he was anxious that his friend Cogswell should accompany him as secretary of legation, and accordingly wrote to Washington, requesting his appointment. “He is,” said Irving, “a gentleman with whom I am on terms of confidential intimacy, and I know no one who, by his various acquirements, his prompt sagacity, his knowledge of the world, his habits of business, and his obliging disposition, is so calculated to give me that counsel, aid, and companionship, so important in Madrid, where a stranger is more isolated than in any other capital of Europe.”
Cogswell received the appointment, and would probably have accepted it, but, Astor finding that he was likely to lose his invaluable services, made him superintendent of the embryo library. After the rich merchant's death, in 1848, he went abroad to purchase books; and it may safely be said that no library in the land was founded with more discrimination and economy. Just by 1900, the books he purchased would have sold for ten times the amount that he expended, and many of them could not have been purchased at any price. His general bibliographical knowledge was of great service to the Astor Library
Astor Library
The Astor Library was a free public library developed primarily through the collaboration of New York merchant John Jacob Astor and New England educator and bibliographer Joseph Cogswell. It was primarily meant as a research library, and its books did not circulate...
, one great work undertaken by him being the preparation of an analytical and alphabetical catalogue of the collection. He also gave the Astor Library his own valuable series of works relating to bibliography, as he had before united with a friend in presenting Harvard with a rare cabinet of minerals and numerous botanical specimens.
He continued the duties of superintendent, which he performed with singular industry and fidelity, until the pressure of advancing years induced him to retire in 1861. Two years later, having chosen a residence at Cambridge, he also resigned the office of trustee. In accepting his resignation, the board passed a resolution highly complimentary to his talents, great learning, and spotless character. All who enjoyed the privilege of Cogswell's acquaintance, and the thousands of seekers after information who remember the patience and urbanity with which he was ever ready to aid them in their researches, will most cordially unite in the richly merited tribute to his learning, amiability, and unsullied life.
While his physical strength gradually failed, his intellectual powers remained unimpaired, and his sparkling table talk was as interesting as in earlier years. He had, in his frequent visits to Europe, met many of the most distinguished men of the 19th century, including Johann von Goethe, Alexander von Humboldt
Alexander von Humboldt
Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander Freiherr von Humboldt was a German naturalist and explorer, and the younger brother of the Prussian minister, philosopher and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt...
, Pierre-Jean de Béranger
Pierre-Jean de Béranger
Pierre-Jean de Béranger was a prolific French poet and chansonnier , who enjoyed great popularity and influence in France during his lifetime, but faded into obscurity in the decades following his death...
, Lord Byron, Walter Scott, Jeffrey, and the brilliant circle that thronged Gore House
Gore House
Gore House, built in the 1750s, was located in London, England, on the road that is now called Kensington Gore. It was the most easterly of a row of 18th century houses built between Palace Gate and Knightsbridge. The house was decorated by the leading architect Robert Adam.Gore House had a...
in Lady Blessington's palmy days. From his moderate fortune, Cogswell left $4,000 to a school in Ipswich, where he was buried by the side of his mother's grave, and where a handsome monument was erected by his Round Hill pupils, no one of whom ever left the school without carrying away with him a strong affection for the faithful friend and teacher.
He received the degree of LL.D. from Trinity in 1842, and from Harvard in 1863. He was a frequent contributor to the magazines, including Blackwood's, North American Review
North American Review
The North American Review was the first literary magazine in the United States. Founded in Boston in 1815 by journalist Nathan Hale and others, it was published continuously until 1940, when publication was suspended due to J. H. Smyth, who had purchased the magazine, being unmasked as a Japanese...
, Monthly Anthology
Monthly Anthology
The Monthly Anthology and Boston Review was a miscellaneous magazine published by the Anthology Club of Boston, Massachusetts from 1804-1811...
, and New York Review.
Further reading
- Anna E. Ticknor, ed., Life of Jos. Green Cogswell as Sketched in his Letters (printed privately, Boston, 1874).