Willard Fiske
Encyclopedia
Daniel Willard Fiske was an American librarian
and scholar, born on November 11, 1831, at Ellisburg, New York
.
Fiske studied at Cazenovia Seminary
and started his collegiate studies at Hamilton College in 1847. He joined the Psi Upsilon
but was suspended for a student prank at the end of his sophomore year. He was educated at Copenhagen
and at Uppsala University
. Upon his return to the United States, he acted as a General Secretary
to the American Geographical Society
and
edited the Syracuse Daily Journal.
Upon the opening of Cornell University
in Ithaca, New York
, Fiske was named University librarian
and professor in 1868. He made a reputation as an authority on the Northern European languages, and Icelandic language
and culture in particular.
In August 1880, he married Jennie McGraw
, at the American Legation
in Berlin. McGraw was the daughter of deceased timber magnate
John McGraw
, and had inherited $2.2 million upon his death in 1877. Their marriage was short, and by September 1881 she had died from tuberculosis
. Controversy over her will
's bequest to Cornell left him involved in the The Great Will Case. Following its resolution in May 1890, he spent much of his remaining years in Italy, and collected manuscripts.
His interests included chess
: he helped organize the first American Chess Congress
in 1857 and wrote the tournament book in 1859, and edited The Chess Monthly
from 1857 to 1861 with Paul Morphy
. His scholarly volume, Chess In Iceland and in Icelandic Literature (Florence, 1905), was used as source material by H.J.R. Murray
for A History of Chess
. Another manuscript, Chess Tales and Chess Miscellanies (New York, 1912), also published posthumously, is an anthology covering chess life of the period including articles about Morphy, problems by Sam Loyd
, and the history of chess including some fables.
On September 17, 1904 Fiske died at Frankfurt am Main, Germany. He is buried next to his wife Jennie McGraw Fiske in the elaborate crypt
of Sage Chapel
at Cornell University. After his death he left a large bequest of 32,000 volumes, the Fiske Icelandic Collection, to Cornell.
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...
and scholar, born on November 11, 1831, at Ellisburg, New York
Ellisburg, New York
Ellisburg, New York may refer to:* Ellisburg , New York* Ellisburg , New York...
.
Fiske studied at Cazenovia Seminary
Cazenovia Seminary
Cazenovia Seminary was an academic seminary of the Methodist Episcopal Church. It was located in Cazenovia, New York, U.S.A.. It was founded in 1825, at the instigation of George Peck and several other prominent clergymen in the area...
and started his collegiate studies at Hamilton College in 1847. He joined the Psi Upsilon
Psi Upsilon
Psi Upsilon is the fifth oldest college fraternity in the United States, founded at Union College in 1833. It has chapters at colleges and universities throughout North America. For most of its history, Psi Upsilon, like most social fraternities, limited its membership to men only...
but was suspended for a student prank at the end of his sophomore year. He was educated at Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
and at Uppsala University
Uppsala University
Uppsala University is a research university in Uppsala, Sweden, and is the oldest university in Scandinavia, founded in 1477. It consistently ranks among the best universities in Northern Europe in international rankings and is generally considered one of the most prestigious institutions of...
. Upon his return to the United States, he acted as a General Secretary
General Secretary
The office of general secretary is staffed by the chief officer of:*The General Secretariat for Macedonia and Thrace, a government agency for the Greek regions of Macedonia and Thrace...
to the American Geographical Society
American Geographical Society
The American Geographical Society is an organization of professional geographers, founded in 1851 in New York City. Most fellows of the society are Americans, but among them have always been a significant number of fellows from around the world...
and
edited the Syracuse Daily Journal.
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
in Ithaca, New York
Ithaca, New York
The city of Ithaca, is a city in upstate New York and the county seat of Tompkins County, as well as the largest community in the Ithaca-Tompkins County metropolitan area...
, Fiske was named University librarian
Cornell University Library
The Cornell University Library is the library system of Cornell University. In 2010 it held 8 million printed volumes in open stacks, 8.5 million microfilms and microfiches, more than of manuscripts, and close to 500,000 other materials, including motion pictures, DVDs, sound recordings, and...
and professor in 1868. He made a reputation as an authority on the Northern European languages, and Icelandic language
Icelandic language
Icelandic is a North Germanic language, the main language of Iceland. Its closest relative is Faroese.Icelandic is an Indo-European language belonging to the North Germanic or Nordic branch of the Germanic languages. Historically, it was the westernmost of the Indo-European languages prior to the...
and culture in particular.
In August 1880, he married Jennie McGraw
Jennie McGraw
Jennie McGraw was born in Dryden, NY in 1840 and died in Ithaca, New York on September 30, 1881. She was the daughter of John McGraw, millionaire philanthropist to Cornell. After her father's death in 1877, McGraw inherited his large fortune...
, at the American Legation
Legation
A legation was the term used in diplomacy to denote a diplomatic representative office lower than an embassy. Where an embassy was headed by an Ambassador, a legation was headed by a Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary....
in Berlin. McGraw was the daughter of deceased timber magnate
Business magnate
A business magnate, sometimes referred to as a capitalist, czar, mogul, tycoon, baron, oligarch, or industrialist, is an informal term used to refer to an entrepreneur who has reached prominence and derived a notable amount of wealth from a particular industry .-Etymology:The word magnate itself...
John McGraw
John McGraw (merchant)
John McGraw was a wealthy New York State lumber merchant, philanthropist, early benefactor and trustee of Cornell University.-Early years:...
, and had inherited $2.2 million upon his death in 1877. Their marriage was short, and by September 1881 she had died from tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
. Controversy over her will
Will (law)
A will or testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his/her estate and provides for the transfer of his/her property at death...
's bequest to Cornell left him involved in the The Great Will Case. Following its resolution in May 1890, he spent much of his remaining years in Italy, and collected manuscripts.
His interests included chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
: he helped organize the first American Chess Congress
American Chess Congress
The American Chess Congress was a series of chess tournaments held in the United States, a predecessor to the current U.S. Chess Championship. It had nine editions, the first played in 1857 and the last in 1923.-First American Chess Congress :...
in 1857 and wrote the tournament book in 1859, and edited The Chess Monthly
The Chess Monthly
The Chess Monthly was a short-lived chess magazine produced from 1857–1861 in the United States. Edited by professional diplomat and linguistics professor Daniel Willard Fiske, it was co-edited for a time by Paul Morphy. Eugene B. Cook and Sam Loyd edited the chess problems section...
from 1857 to 1861 with Paul Morphy
Paul Morphy
Paul Charles Morphy was an American chess player. He is considered to have been the greatest chess master of his era and an unofficial World Chess Champion. He was a chess prodigy...
. His scholarly volume, Chess In Iceland and in Icelandic Literature (Florence, 1905), was used as source material by H.J.R. Murray
Harold James Ruthven Murray
Harold James Ruthven Murray , was an English educationalist, inspector of schools, and prominent chess historian. He was the first to publish the theory that chess originated in India...
for A History of Chess
A History of Chess
A History of Chess is a chess history book by Harold James Ruthven Murray published in 1913.Murray's aim is threefold: to present as complete a record as is possible of the varieties of chess that exist or have existed in different parts of the world; to investigate the ultimate origin of these...
. Another manuscript, Chess Tales and Chess Miscellanies (New York, 1912), also published posthumously, is an anthology covering chess life of the period including articles about Morphy, problems by Sam Loyd
Sam Loyd
Samuel Loyd , born in Philadelphia and raised in New York, was an American chess player, chess composer, puzzle author, and recreational mathematician....
, and the history of chess including some fables.
On September 17, 1904 Fiske died at Frankfurt am Main, Germany. He is buried next to his wife Jennie McGraw Fiske in the elaborate crypt
Crypt
In architecture, a crypt is a stone chamber or vault beneath the floor of a burial vault possibly containing sarcophagi, coffins or relics....
of Sage Chapel
Sage Chapel
Sage Chapel is the non-denominational chapel on the campus of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York State and serves as the final resting place of the university's founders, Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, and their wives...
at Cornell University. After his death he left a large bequest of 32,000 volumes, the Fiske Icelandic Collection, to Cornell.
External links
- Willard Fiske: Journeys of a Bibliophile (PDF)
- Daniel Willard Fiske Biography (1831–1904) on biography.com
- Daniel Willard Fiske at Sarah's Chess Journal
- Fiske Icelandic Collection at Cornell University Library
- All about Postal Matters in Egypt by Willard Fiske, published by The Landi Press, 1898