R. Carlyle Buley
Encyclopedia
Roscoe Carlyle Buley was born in Georgetown, Indiana
, on July 8, 1893. The son of David M. Buley -- a Hoosier school teacher -- and Nora (Keithley) Buley, he graduated Vincennes (Indiana) High School in 1910. He received his B.A. from Indiana University
in 1914 and his M.A. from the same institution in 1916.
During World War I
, Buley served for a year in the U.S. Army Signal Corps
. He then returned home and married Esther Giles (1898 - 1921) in 1919. After Esther's death in 1921, Buley married Evelyn Barnett (January 14, 1904 - February 28, 1989). He taught high school history at Delphi and Muncie, Indiana
, and Springfield, Illinois
, before receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin in 1925.
From 1925 to 1964, Buley was a professor of history at Indiana University
, serving as emeritus professor from 1964 until his death on April 25, 1968, at the age of 74.
Buley authored numerous articles, reviews, and books, winning the Pulitzer Prize for History
in 1951 for his two volume work, The Old Northwest: Pioneer Period 1815-1840. He also won the Elizur Wright
Award for The American Life Convention: Study in the History of Life Insurance. In 2007 he was honored by his former high school as a Vincennes Lincoln High School Distinguished Alumnus. Noted for always having an open door to students who wished to chat, in 1962 Indiana University's Sigma Delta
Chi journalism society presented him the Brown Derby
Award for being the most popular professor on campus.
No mere pedagogue, Dr. Buley took a broad view of education, as he expressed in The Old Northwest: Pioneer Period 1815-1840:
"Much has been made, perhaps too much, of the illiteracy of the pioneer, of the lack of schools, and of the general backwardness of the southern emigrants in comparison with the eastern. Schools do not necessarily produce literates; literacy -- the mere ability to pronounce a few written words -- has little to do with
education; and there are other ways of getting an education than in schools. As James Hall
said: 'A human being may know how to read, and yet be a very stupid fellow.... Reading and writing are not magic arts; of themselves, they are of little value... and thousands of individuals with diplomas in their pockets are
far inferior, in point of common sense and information, to the common run of backwoodsmen.'" [R. Carlyle Buley, The Old Northwest: Pioneer Period 1815-1840, third printing (Indiana University Press, Bloomington, 1962), v. 2, p. 328]
Georgetown, Indiana
Georgetown is the name of some places in the U.S. state of Indiana:*Georgetown, Cass County, Indiana*Georgetown, Floyd County, Indiana*Georgetown, St. Joseph County, Indiana*Georgetown, Harrison County, Indiana...
, on July 8, 1893. The son of David M. Buley -- a Hoosier school teacher -- and Nora (Keithley) Buley, he graduated Vincennes (Indiana) High School in 1910. He received his B.A. from Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
in 1914 and his M.A. from the same institution in 1916.
During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Buley served for a year in the U.S. Army Signal Corps
United States Army Signal Corps
The United States Army Signal Corps develops, tests, provides, and manages communications and information systems support for the command and control of combined arms forces. It was established in 1860, the brainchild of United States Army Major Albert J. Myer, and has had an important role from...
. He then returned home and married Esther Giles (1898 - 1921) in 1919. After Esther's death in 1921, Buley married Evelyn Barnett (January 14, 1904 - February 28, 1989). He taught high school history at Delphi and Muncie, Indiana
Muncie, Indiana
Muncie is a city in Center Township, Delaware County in east central Indiana, best known as the home of Ball State University and the birthplace of the Ball Corporation. It is the principal city of the Muncie, Indiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of 118,769...
, and Springfield, Illinois
Springfield, Illinois
Springfield is the third and current capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 117,400 , making it the sixth most populated city in the state and the second most populated Illinois city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area...
, before receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin in 1925.
From 1925 to 1964, Buley was a professor of history at Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
, serving as emeritus professor from 1964 until his death on April 25, 1968, at the age of 74.
Buley authored numerous articles, reviews, and books, winning the Pulitzer Prize for History
Pulitzer Prize for History
The Pulitzer Prize for History has been awarded since 1917 for a distinguished book upon the history of the United States. Many history books have also been awarded the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction and Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography...
in 1951 for his two volume work, The Old Northwest: Pioneer Period 1815-1840. He also won the Elizur Wright
Elizur Wright
Elizur Wright was an American mathematician and abolitionist. He is sometimes described as the "father of life insurance" for his pioneering work on actuarial tables...
Award for The American Life Convention: Study in the History of Life Insurance. In 2007 he was honored by his former high school as a Vincennes Lincoln High School Distinguished Alumnus. Noted for always having an open door to students who wished to chat, in 1962 Indiana University's Sigma Delta
Sigma Delta
Sigma Delta is a local sorority at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. First established on the campus in 1972, Sigma Delta, known as "Sigma Delt" by students, as a chapter of the national sorority Sigma Kappa. Dartmouth's Sigma Kappa chapter was the first sorority to be...
Chi journalism society presented him the Brown Derby
Brown Derby
The Brown Derby was the name of a chain of restaurants in Los Angeles, California. The first and most famous of these was shaped like a men's derby hat, an iconic image that became synonymous with the Golden Age of Hollywood....
Award for being the most popular professor on campus.
No mere pedagogue, Dr. Buley took a broad view of education, as he expressed in The Old Northwest: Pioneer Period 1815-1840:
"Much has been made, perhaps too much, of the illiteracy of the pioneer, of the lack of schools, and of the general backwardness of the southern emigrants in comparison with the eastern. Schools do not necessarily produce literates; literacy -- the mere ability to pronounce a few written words -- has little to do with
education; and there are other ways of getting an education than in schools. As James Hall
James Hall
-Actors, Entertainment, Broadcasting:* James Hall , American actor* Jamie Hall , Canadian TV producer-Authors:* James Hall , American academic* James Baker Hall , American author...
said: 'A human being may know how to read, and yet be a very stupid fellow.... Reading and writing are not magic arts; of themselves, they are of little value... and thousands of individuals with diplomas in their pockets are
far inferior, in point of common sense and information, to the common run of backwoodsmen.'" [R. Carlyle Buley, The Old Northwest: Pioneer Period 1815-1840, third printing (Indiana University Press, Bloomington, 1962), v. 2, p. 328]