Charles Beck
Encyclopedia
Charles Beck or Karl Beck (August 19, 1798 – March 19, 1866) was a German-born American classical
scholar, Harvard
professor and friend of Charles Follen
.
. His merchant father died when Beck was young, and his mother married Wilhelm De Wette, a theologian, biblical scholar, and professor in the University of Heidelberg. In 1810, the family moved to Berlin where De Wette had been appointed professor of theology at the new Prussian university
. In Berlin, while a student at the Werder'sche gymnasium
, Beck began to frequent the Hasenheide Turnplatz where he became proficient in the arts of a Turner
.
Beck studied the classics at the University of Berlin
, then theology at the University of Heidelberg where he was ordained, and finally got his Ph.D.
at the University of Tübingen. While a student, he became active in the Burschenschaft
movement, and on his graduation found his republican sentiments prevented him from pursuing a career in Germany. Thus he became employed for some time as tutor at the University of Basle in Switzerland
, where his step father was a professor. After the murder of August von Kotzebue
, De Wette had written a letter to the assassin's mother in which he attempted to console her saying her son did the act out of a mistaken sense of duty. On learning of the letter, the Prussian authorities accused him of excusing the assassination, dismissed him from his professorship at Berlin and banished him from Prussia. De Witte lived in retirement a few years, and then in 1822 had become professor of theology at the Basle university.
By 1824, Beck felt his republican sentiments endangered his liberty even in Switzerland, and he took refuge in the Paris
where he met Charles Follen
, another German in a similar situation.
The two then left from Havre
for the United States
on 5 November, arriving in New York City
on 19 December 1824. Soon afterward Beck became connected, as teacher, with the Round Hill School
at Northampton, Massachusetts
. There he was appointed teacher of Latin. He also established at Round Hill an outdoor gym
nasium: the first gymnasium in the United States, which hosted the first school gymnastics program in that country.
He taught physical education classes with a curriculum modeled after Jahn
's system, and translated Jahn's 1816 work Deutsche Turnkunst into English
as Treatise on Gymnasticks, taken chiefly from the German of F. L. Jahn.
In 1830, he and two other teachers established a school at Philipstown, New York
, on the Hudson River
, opposite West Point
. In 1832 Beck was appointed professor of Latin language and literature
at Harvard. He became a member of the American Oriental Society
in 1843 and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
in 1845. On his retirement from Harvard in 1850, he devoted himself to literary pursuits and classical studies. In 1863, he published The Manuscripts of the Satyricon of Petronius Arbiter, described and collated. For two years he represented Cambridge in the Massachusetts House of Representatives
. He was specially interested in the soldiers' fund, the Sanitary Commission, and the agencies for the care and education of the freedmen.
In 1827 he married Louisa A. Henshaw (d. 1830), and in 1831 he married her sister, Teresa H. Phillips (d. 1863). He died in Cambridge, Massachusetts
, aged 67.
Classics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
scholar, 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...
professor and friend of Charles Follen
Charles Follen
Charles Follen was a German poet and patriot, who later moved to the United States and became the first professor of German at Harvard University, a Unitarian minister, and a radical abolitionist.-Life in Europe:...
.
Biography
Beck was born in HeidelbergHeidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
. His merchant father died when Beck was young, and his mother married Wilhelm De Wette, a theologian, biblical scholar, and professor in the University of Heidelberg. In 1810, the family moved to Berlin where De Wette had been appointed professor of theology at the new Prussian university
Humboldt University of Berlin
The Humboldt University of Berlin is Berlin's oldest university, founded in 1810 as the University of Berlin by the liberal Prussian educational reformer and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt, whose university model has strongly influenced other European and Western universities...
. In Berlin, while a student at the Werder'sche gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
, Beck began to frequent the Hasenheide Turnplatz where he became proficient in the arts of a Turner
Turners
Turners are members of German-American gymnastic clubs. A German gymnastic movement was started by Turnvater Friedrich Ludwig Jahn in the early 19th century when Germany was occupied by Napoleon...
.
Beck studied the classics at the University of Berlin
Humboldt University of Berlin
The Humboldt University of Berlin is Berlin's oldest university, founded in 1810 as the University of Berlin by the liberal Prussian educational reformer and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt, whose university model has strongly influenced other European and Western universities...
, then theology at the University of Heidelberg where he was ordained, and finally got his Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
at the University of Tübingen. While a student, he became active in the Burschenschaft
Burschenschaft
German Burschenschaften are a special type of Studentenverbindungen . Burschenschaften were founded in the 19th century as associations of university students inspired by liberal and nationalistic ideas.-History:-Beginnings 1815–c...
movement, and on his graduation found his republican sentiments prevented him from pursuing a career in Germany. Thus he became employed for some time as tutor at the University of Basle in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, where his step father was a professor. After the murder of August von Kotzebue
August von Kotzebue
August Friedrich Ferdinand von Kotzebue was a German dramatist.One of Kotzebue's books was burned during the Wartburg festival in 1817. He was murdered in 1819 by Karl Ludwig Sand, a militant member of the Burschenschaften...
, De Wette had written a letter to the assassin's mother in which he attempted to console her saying her son did the act out of a mistaken sense of duty. On learning of the letter, the Prussian authorities accused him of excusing the assassination, dismissed him from his professorship at Berlin and banished him from Prussia. De Witte lived in retirement a few years, and then in 1822 had become professor of theology at the Basle university.
By 1824, Beck felt his republican sentiments endangered his liberty even in Switzerland, and he took refuge in the Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
where he met Charles Follen
Charles Follen
Charles Follen was a German poet and patriot, who later moved to the United States and became the first professor of German at Harvard University, a Unitarian minister, and a radical abolitionist.-Life in Europe:...
, another German in a similar situation.
The two then left from Havre
Havre
Havre may refer to:* Havre, Montana* Havre de Grace, Maryland* Havre , Norway* Havre-Aubert, Magdalen Islands, Quebec, Canada* Havre Boucher, Nova Scotia, Canada...
for the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on 5 November, arriving 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...
on 19 December 1824. Soon afterward Beck became connected, as teacher, with the 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...
. There he was appointed teacher of Latin. He also established at Round Hill an outdoor gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
nasium: the first gymnasium in the United States, which hosted the first school gymnastics program in that country.
He taught physical education classes with a curriculum modeled after Jahn
Friedrich Ludwig Jahn
Friedrich Ludwig Jahn was a German gymnastics educator and nationalist. He is commonly known as Turnvater Jahn, roughly meaning "father of gymnastics" Jahn.- Life :...
's system, and translated Jahn's 1816 work Deutsche Turnkunst into English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
as Treatise on Gymnasticks, taken chiefly from the German of F. L. Jahn.
In 1830, he and two other teachers established a school at Philipstown, New York
Philipstown, New York
Philipstown is a town located in the western part of Putnam County, New York, United States. The population was 9,422 at the 2000 census.- History :The town was first settled around 1715....
, on the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
, opposite West Point
West Point, New York
West Point is a federal military reservation established by President of the United States Thomas Jefferson in 1802. It is a census-designated place located in Town of Highlands in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 7,138 at the 2000 census...
. In 1832 Beck was appointed professor of Latin language and literature
Latin literature
Latin literature includes the essays, histories, poems, plays, and other writings of the ancient Romans. In many ways, it seems to be a continuation of Greek literature, using many of the same forms...
at Harvard. He became a member of the American Oriental Society
American Oriental Society
The American Oriental Society was chartered under the laws of Massachusetts on September 7, 1842. It is one of the oldest learned societies in America, and is the oldest devoted to a particular field of scholarship....
in 1843 and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
in 1845. On his retirement from Harvard in 1850, he devoted himself to literary pursuits and classical studies. In 1863, he published The Manuscripts of the Satyricon of Petronius Arbiter, described and collated. For two years he represented Cambridge in the Massachusetts House of Representatives
Massachusetts House of Representatives
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from single-member electoral districts across the Commonwealth. Representatives serve two-year terms...
. He was specially interested in the soldiers' fund, the Sanitary Commission, and the agencies for the care and education of the freedmen.
In 1827 he married Louisa A. Henshaw (d. 1830), and in 1831 he married her sister, Teresa H. Phillips (d. 1863). He died in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
, aged 67.