William Alcott
Encyclopedia
William Andrus Alcott was an American educator, educational reformer, physician, and author of 108 books. His works, which include a wide range of topics including educational reform, physical education
, school house
design, family life, and diet
, are still widely cited today.
. His father was a farmer, Obedience Alcox (1776–1847); in the 1820s, like many members of the family, he altered the spelling of his last name, which on his tombstone appears as "Obid. Alcott" . His mother was Anna Andrus (1777–1864) who was the daughter of a Revolutionary War
soldier and William's most important educational influence He attended local schools and became a close friend with his near neighbor Amos Bronson Alcott
who would later enjoy wide fame as a philosopher and as the father of writer Louisa May Alcott
. Although sometimes described simply as "cousins" the two were actually second cousins; William's grandfather David Alcott (1740–1841) was the brother of Amos Bronson Alcott's grandfather, Captain John Alcott. The two boys shared books, exchanged ideas, and started a small library together. Odell Shepard had written of Amos Bronson Alcott, "Indeed there is a sense in which nearly everything Alcott wrote and did is attributable to William"
, and about this time was beginning to suffer from tuberculosis
. He would suffer symptoms of both for the remainder of his life . Realizing that his health problems might bring an end to his teaching career, in 1824 he began on his to study medical texts. His formal study of medicine
was brief. In the winter of 1825–26 he attended "a regular course of medical studies" in New Haven, Connecticut
. In March 1826 he was granted a license to practice medicine. In addition to teaching, he practiced medicine at least until 1829
. Woodbridge had just returned from Europe and was in the process of revising his second geography. Alcott at first worked as an assistant to Woodbridge for which he was paid twelve dollars a month to check facts and improve maps. The two became close friends. In 1831, when Woodbridge purchased the American Journal of Education and renamed it Annals of Education. The two men then moved to Boston
. Alcott wrote many articles for the journal, especially those dealing with school design and physical education. Even after Woodbridge lost control of the Journal in 1836 and became its foreign editor, Alcott continued to write for the publication. He would later publish a poignant memoir of Woodbridge's life . While still teaching he had begun to contribute articles to newspapers and started work on the book that would become The Young man's Guide .
, just outside Boston. Eventually he would settle into a house in Auburndale
in the town of Newton. He died here of a lung infection. He worked until the day before he died. William Andrus Alcott is buried in Newton Cemetery.
. In 1850 he wrote three long letters on vegetarianism to the editor of the New York Tribune
- at the request of the editor (Aug. 14, Nov. 6). Here he shows clearly that his preference was for a diet that used no animal products - what would today be called a vegan
diet.
Alcott wrote The Phisology of Marriage in 1856. He deplored free courtship
manners. He specifically deplored "conversation which is too excitable", "presence of exciting books", "unnecessary heat", and many other courtship practices prevalent in 18th century America but steadily going out of fashion by 1856. He warned young people of the dangers of courtship. He is criticized by modern day feminists for his "rigidity".
Alcott was a founding member (in 1850) and the first president of the American Vegetarian Society. He was also the author of The Vegetable Diet As Sanctioned by Medical Men and By Experience in All Ages. He also founded The American Physiological Society in 1837, the world's first physiological society.
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
, school house
One-room school
One-room schools were commonplace throughout rural portions of various countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Ireland and Spain in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In most rural and small town schools, all of the students met in a single room...
design, family life, and diet
Diet (nutrition)
In nutrition, diet is the sum of food consumed by a person or other organism. Dietary habits are the habitual decisions an individual or culture makes when choosing what foods to eat. With the word diet, it is often implied the use of specific intake of nutrition for health or weight-management...
, are still widely cited today.
Early life and family
William Andrus Alcott was born in Wolcott, ConnecticutWolcott, Connecticut
Wolcott is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 15,215 at the 2000 census.Wolcott was founded in 1796 and was originally named Farmingbury...
. His father was a farmer, Obedience Alcox (1776–1847); in the 1820s, like many members of the family, he altered the spelling of his last name, which on his tombstone appears as "Obid. Alcott" . His mother was Anna Andrus (1777–1864) who was the daughter of a Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
soldier and William's most important educational influence He attended local schools and became a close friend with his near neighbor Amos Bronson Alcott
Amos Bronson Alcott
Amos Bronson Alcott was an American teacher, writer, philosopher, and reformer. As an educator, Alcott pioneered new ways of interacting with young students, focusing on a conversational style, and avoided traditional punishment. He hoped to perfect the human spirit and, to that end, advocated a...
who would later enjoy wide fame as a philosopher and as the father of writer Louisa May Alcott
Louisa May Alcott
Louisa May Alcott was an American novelist. She is best known for the novel Little Women and its sequels Little Men and Jo's Boys. Little Women was set in the Alcott family home, Orchard House in Concord, Massachusetts, and published in 1868...
. Although sometimes described simply as "cousins" the two were actually second cousins; William's grandfather David Alcott (1740–1841) was the brother of Amos Bronson Alcott's grandfather, Captain John Alcott. The two boys shared books, exchanged ideas, and started a small library together. Odell Shepard had written of Amos Bronson Alcott, "Indeed there is a sense in which nearly everything Alcott wrote and did is attributable to William"
Teaching and medical education
At the age of 18 Alcott began teaching in a school located just a few yards from his father's house. With brief interruptions, he would continue to teach for the next nine years. His experiences as a student country school teacher would later become the subject of many of his later publications. He observed that the benches used by students were often painful and, at his own expense built backs onto the benches; these became the ancestors of the later school desks. He campaigned for better heating and ventilation in schools. He labored to improve the intellectual content of classrooms. While he was successful as a teacher In the summer of 1824 he suffered an attack of the disfiguring dangerous skin infection erysipelasErysipelas
Erysipelas is an acute streptococcus bacterial infection of the deep epidermis with lymphatic spread.-Risk factors:...
, and about this time was beginning to suffer 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...
. He would suffer symptoms of both for the remainder of his life . Realizing that his health problems might bring an end to his teaching career, in 1824 he began on his to study medical texts. His formal study of medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
was brief. In the winter of 1825–26 he attended "a regular course of medical studies" in New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
. In March 1826 he was granted a license to practice medicine. In addition to teaching, he practiced medicine at least until 1829
William Channing Woodbridge and early writing
In the spring of 1830 he met William Channing WoodbridgeWilliam Channing Woodbridge
William Channing Woodbridge was an American geographer, educational reformer, and the author of many geography textbooks.-Early life and family:...
. Woodbridge had just returned from Europe and was in the process of revising his second geography. Alcott at first worked as an assistant to Woodbridge for which he was paid twelve dollars a month to check facts and improve maps. The two became close friends. In 1831, when Woodbridge purchased the American Journal of Education and renamed it Annals of Education. The two men then moved to Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. Alcott wrote many articles for the journal, especially those dealing with school design and physical education. Even after Woodbridge lost control of the Journal in 1836 and became its foreign editor, Alcott continued to write for the publication. He would later publish a poignant memoir of Woodbridge's life . While still teaching he had begun to contribute articles to newspapers and started work on the book that would become The Young man's Guide .
Later life
On 14 June 1836 he married Phebe Lewis Bronson (14 June 1812 – 9 November 1907. They had three children. For a time they shared a house, Cottage Place, with the family of his old friend and cousin Amos Bronson Alcott. In the 1840s William moved to the town of Newton, MassachusettsNewton, Massachusetts
Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States bordered to the east by Boston. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Newton was 85,146, making it the eleventh largest city in the state.-Villages:...
, just outside Boston. Eventually he would settle into a house in Auburndale
Auburndale, Massachusetts
Auburndale is one of the 13 villages of Newton, Massachusetts. It lies at the western end of Newton near the intersection of interstate highways 90 and 95, and is bisected by the Massachusetts Turnpike. Auburndale is surrounded by three other Newton villages as well as the city of Waltham and the...
in the town of Newton. He died here of a lung infection. He worked until the day before he died. William Andrus Alcott is buried in Newton Cemetery.
Ideas, diet and morals
Alcott became one of the most prolific authors in early American history. He wrote frequently on the topics of education and health. In 1836 he wrote a letter to the editor of the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal titled "The Graham System" (May 4, p. 199-201; he signed it "M.D." The cause of greatest interest [in Alcott throughout his life was vegetarianismVegetarianism
Vegetarianism encompasses the practice of following plant-based diets , with or without the inclusion of dairy products or eggs, and with the exclusion of meat...
. In 1850 he wrote three long letters on vegetarianism to the editor of the New York Tribune
New York Tribune
The New York Tribune was an American newspaper, first established by Horace Greeley in 1841, which was long considered one of the leading newspapers in the United States...
- at the request of the editor (Aug. 14, Nov. 6). Here he shows clearly that his preference was for a diet that used no animal products - what would today be called a vegan
Veganism
Veganism is the practice of eliminating the use of animal products. Ethical vegans reject the commodity status of animals and the use of animal products for any purpose, while dietary vegans or strict vegetarians eliminate them from their diet only...
diet.
Alcott wrote The Phisology of Marriage in 1856. He deplored free courtship
Courtship
Courtship is the period in a couple's relationship which precedes their engagement and marriage, or establishment of an agreed relationship of a more enduring kind. In courtship, a couple get to know each other and decide if there will be an engagement or other such agreement...
manners. He specifically deplored "conversation which is too excitable", "presence of exciting books", "unnecessary heat", and many other courtship practices prevalent in 18th century America but steadily going out of fashion by 1856. He warned young people of the dangers of courtship. He is criticized by modern day feminists for his "rigidity".
Alcott was a founding member (in 1850) and the first president of the American Vegetarian Society. He was also the author of The Vegetable Diet As Sanctioned by Medical Men and By Experience in All Ages. He also founded The American Physiological Society in 1837, the world's first physiological society.
Books
- Confessions of a School Master 1839
- The Young Man’s Guide 1834
- The Young Woman's Guide
- The Use of Tobacco: Its Physical, Intellectual, and Moral Effects on The Human System 1836
- Vegetable Diet: As Sanctioned by Medical Men, and by Experience in All Ages 1838
- Tea And Coffee 1839
- Art of Good Behavior 1848
- The Young Housekeeper 1842
- The Young Mother Or Management Of Children In Regard To Health
- The Young Mother
- Adventures of Lot, the Nephew of Abraham
- Familiar letters to young men on various subjects.: Designed as a companion to The young man's guide.
- Trust in the Lord; or the Story of Elijah and the Ravens.
- Stories of Eliot and the Indians
- Lectures on Life and Health, Or, The Laws and Means of Physical Culture 1853
- The House I Live In The first Anatomy book for the general public.
- Forty Years in the Wilderness of Pills and Powders 1859
- The laws of health, or, Sequel to "The house I live in" 1859
External links
- http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/27/opinion/27sat2.html For Want of a Nurse