William Holmes McGuffey (September 23, 1800 – May 4, 1873) was a college professor and president who is best known for writing the ''
McGuffey Readers'', the first widely used series of elementary school-level
textbooks. More than 120 million copies of ''McGuffey Readers'' were sold between 1836 and 1960, placing its sales in a category with the
Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus ...
and
Webster's Dictionary
''Webster's Dictionary'' is any of the English language dictionaries edited in the early 19th century by American lexicographer Noah Webster (1758–1843), as well as numerous related or unrelated dictionaries that have adopted the Webster's ...
.
Early years
William Holmes McGuffey, born September 23, 1800, was the son of Alexander and Anna (Holmes) McGuffey near
Claysville in West Finley Township,
Washington County, Pennsylvania
Washington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 209,349. Its county seat is Washington.
Washington County is part of the Pittsburgh, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area.
The county is ...
, which is 45 miles southwest of
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
.
His family, who had strong opinions about education and religion, immigrated from Scotland to the United States in 1774.
In 1802, the McGuffey family moved farther out into the
frontier
A frontier is the political and geographical area near or beyond a boundary. A frontier can also be referred to as a "front". The term came from French in the 15th century, with the meaning "borderland"—the region of a country that fronts ...
at
Tuscarawas County, Ohio. He attended country school, and after receiving special instruction at
Youngstown, he attended
Greersburg Academy
The Greersburg Academy was an institution established by Reverend Thomas Hughes in Darlington, Pennsylvania, United States, in 1802. The academy was created as a "prep" school for college. Classes included languages, philosophy, and astronom ...
in
Darlington, Pennsylvania.
Early career and college education
At the age of 14, he was a roving instructor in a
one-room school
One-room schools, or schoolhouses, were commonplace throughout rural portions of various countries, including Prussia, Norway, Sweden, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Spain. In most rural and s ...
house in
Calcutta, Ohio.
He traveled through the frontier of Ohio, Kentucky, and western Pennsylvania. He was "one of an army of half-educated young men who tramped the roads and trails drumming up 'subscription scholars'."
His students generally brought their Bibles, because there were few textbooks at that time. He taught children from the age of six to twenty-one. He taught in frontier schools, often eleven hours a day and six days a week.
In between jobs as a teacher,
he attended and graduated in 1826 from Pennsylvania's
Washington College
Washington College is a private liberal arts college in Chestertown, Maryland. Maryland granted Washington College its charter in 1782. George Washington supported the founding of the college by consenting to have the "College at Chester" name ...
, where he became an instructor.
He was close friends with Washington College's President
Andrew Wylie and lived in Wylie's house for a time; they often would walk the three miles to Washington College together.
Career and life
McGuffey left Washington College in 1826 to become a professor of ancient languages at
Miami University
Miami University (informally Miami of Ohio or simply Miami) is a public research university in Oxford, Ohio. The university was founded in 1809, making it the second-oldest university in Ohio (behind Ohio University, founded in 1804) and the ...
in
Oxford, Ohio
Oxford is a city in Butler County, Ohio, United States. The population was 23,035 at the 2020 census. A college town, Oxford was founded as a home for Miami University and lies in the southwestern portion of the state approximately northwest ...
. In 1832, he was transferred to the chair of moral philosophy.
In 1829, he was licensed as a minister in the
Presbyterian Church
Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
at Bethel Chapel. He preached frequently during the remainder of his life.
Truman and Smith, a Cincinnati publisher, wanted to publish a series of four graded readers for schoolchildren. Based upon a recommendation from
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Harriet Elisabeth Beecher Stowe (; June 14, 1811 – July 1, 1896) was an American author and abolitionist. She came from the religious Beecher family and became best known for her novel '' Uncle Tom's Cabin'' (1852), which depicts the har ...
, they hired McGuffey. His brother
Alexander Hamilton McGuffey
Alexander Hamilton McGuffey, also known as Alexander H. McGuffey, (August 13, 1816 – June 3, 1896) was an editor of the fifth and sixth of the series of ''McGuffey Readers''. His brother William Holmes McGuffey edited the first four readers in t ...
wrote the fifth and sixth readers for the ''
McGuffey Readers'' series. His books sold over 120 million copies and still continue to be used for
homeschooling
Homeschooling or home schooling, also known as home education or elective home education (EHE), is the education of school-aged children at home or a variety of places other than a school. Usually conducted by a parent, tutor, or an onlin ...
.
In 1836, he left Miami to become president of
Cincinnati College, where he also served as a distinguished teacher and lecturer.
He left Cincinnati in 1839 to become the 4th president of
Ohio University
Ohio University is a public research university in Athens, Ohio. The first university chartered by an Act of Congress and the first to be chartered in Ohio, the university was chartered in 1787 by the Congress of the Confederation and subse ...
, which he left in 1843 to become president of what was then called the
Woodward Free Grammar School in Cincinnati, one of the country's earliest public schools.
From 1843 to 1845, he was a professor in
Woodward College in Cincinnati. While in Cincinnati he began the preparation of an "Eclectic" series of readers and spellers, which became popular, and have been many times revised and reissued. From 1845 till his death, he occupied the chair of moral philosophy and political economy in the
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United States, with highly selective ad ...
in
Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is the county seat of Albemarle County, which surrounds the city, though the two are separate legal entities. It is named after Queen C ...
.
Personal life
He was married to Harriet Spinning of
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton () is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, Ohio, Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County, Ohio, Greene County. The 2020 United S ...
in 1827. They had five children, who were expected to act with submission and obedience, according to one of their daughter's diary. McGuffey believed in the importance of education and religion to live successful lives.
McGuffey and Harriet had as many as three slaves while at Virginia. One of these enslaved individuals was
William Gibbons, who was hired out to them. Gibbons was literate. He was said to be self-taught and also said to have been instructed by McGuffey's daughter Maria. He later became a minister in Charlottesville and Washington, D.C.
Harriet was ill during the summer of 1850 and was taken to her parents' home in Woodside by McGuffey. Her health did not improve as hoped and she died on July 3. She was buried in Woodside Cemetery. He later married Miss Laura Howard, daughter of Dean Howard of the University of Virginia. They had one daughter, Anna. She died at the age of four.
During the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...
and the
Reconstruction era
The Reconstruction era was a period in American history following the American Civil War (1861–1865) and lasting until approximately the Compromise of 1877. During Reconstruction, attempts were made to rebuild the country after the bloo ...
, McGuffey was generous in his donations to the poor and African Americans.
McGuffey died May 4, 1873 at the
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United States, with highly selective ad ...
,
and is buried in the
University of Virginia Cemetery
The University of Virginia Cemetery and Columbarium is a cemetery on the grounds of the University of Virginia, located at the intersection of McCormick Road and Alderman Road. In operation since 1828, during the earliest days of the university, ...
, in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Influences
McGuffey was
Henry Ford
Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947) was an American industrialist, business magnate, founder of the Ford Motor Company, and chief developer of the assembly line technique of mass production. By creating the first automobile that ...
's favorite author and was always proud of his exposure to McGuffey's teachings, which "reinforced an ordered, rigid, and straightforward view of the world where white was white and black was black".
Legacy
Named for William Holmes McGuffey's influential primers that first appeared in 1836 and remained in print until 1921, the McGuffey longevity awards recognize long-lived, still-in-use textbooks of excellence.
Places named after McGuffey:
* The
William H. McGuffey Primary School in Charlottesville, VA bears his name. The historic building is currently an artist-run cooperative arts center, currently known as th
McGuffey Art Center Enslaved workers of University of Virginia faculty, including the McGuffey household, lived in McGuffey Cottage, which is preserved behind Pavilion IX at the University of Virginia.
*
McGuffey High School and
Middle School
A middle school (also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school) is an educational stage which exists in some countries, providing education between primary school and secondary school. ...
in
Claysville, Pennsylvania
Claysville is a borough in Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States and part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area since 1950. The population was 728 at the 2020 census. Claysville Elementary School, part of the McGuffey School District is ...
. In 1998, the
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) is the governmental agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania responsible for the collection, conservation and interpretation of Pennsylvania's historic heritage. The commission cares fo ...
installed a
historical marker
A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, or in other places referred to as a historical marker, historic marker, or historic plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other ...
noting McGuffey's historic importance.
*
Ohio University
Ohio University is a public research university in Athens, Ohio. The first university chartered by an Act of Congress and the first to be chartered in Ohio, the university was chartered in 1787 by the Congress of the Confederation and subse ...
's Department of University Advancement is housed in a building named McGuffey Hall.
* At
Miami University
Miami University (informally Miami of Ohio or simply Miami) is a public research university in Oxford, Ohio. The university was founded in 1809, making it the second-oldest university in Ohio (behind Ohio University, founded in 1804) and the ...
,
McGuffey Hall is a large academic building home to several education-related departments. The university ran the McGuffey Laboratory School from 1910 until 1983 on its campus. When the school closed, some of the parents started The William Holmes McGuffey School Foundation which operates an independent progressive school in Oxford called the McGuffey Foundation School. The school was later renamed the McGuffey Montessori School.
* The
McGuffey School District in Washington County, Pennsylvania is named for William Holmes McGuffey.
Notes
References
Further reading
* ''Biography Reference Bank''. The H. W. Wilson Company, 2007.
* John Hardin Best. "McGuffey, William Holmes"
''American National Biography Online'' Feb. 2000.* Richard D. Mosier. ''Making the American Mind: Social and Moral Ideas in the McGuffey Readers (1947)
* John H. Westerhoff III. ''McGuffey and His Readers: Piety, Morality, and Education in Nineteenth-Century America'' (1978).
External links
*
William Holmes McGuffey - Digital collection maintained by the Miami University LibrariesWilliam Holmes McGuffey & McGuffey Eclectic Readers collection Walter Havighurst Special Collections, Miami University Libraries.
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:McGuffey, William Holmes
1800 births
1873 deaths
American non-fiction writers
American people of Scotch-Irish descent
University of Cincinnati faculty
Presidents of the University of Cincinnati
Fabulists
Miami University faculty
People from Tuscarawas County, Ohio
Writers from Cincinnati
Writers from Youngstown, Ohio
Writers from Charlottesville, Virginia
Presidents of Ohio University
Pennsylvania state historical marker significations
Washington & Jefferson College alumni
Washington & Jefferson College faculty
Burials at the University of Virginia Cemetery
People from Oxford, Ohio