Charles Jeremy Hoadly (1828–1900) was an

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librarian and historian who served as State Librarian and director of the Connecticut State Library from 1855 to 1900. He insisted on spelling his surname as "Hoadly," though most of his extended family spelled it "Hoadley."

Early life and education

Hoadly was born in Hartford, Connecticut, on August 1, 1828, the eldest son of William Henry Hoadley and Harriet Louisa Hillyer. After attending the Hopkins Grammar School in Hartford, he graduated valedictorian at

Trinity College Trinity College may refer to: Australia * Trinity Anglican College, an Anglican coeducational primary and secondary school in , New South Wales * Trinity Catholic College, Auburn, a coeducational school in the inner-western suburbs of Sydney, New ...

in 1851. Having earned his Bachelor of Arts degree, Hoadly then worked in the offices of the superintendent of public instruction while pursuing postgraduate education. Hoadly subsequently earned a Master of Arts degree from Trinity in 1854 and became the college's librarian that same year. He independently studied law and was admitted to the bar in the winter of 1855, though he never practiced law. In April, he was appointed Connecticut State Librarian, succeeding

James Hammond Trumbull James Hammond Trumbull (December 20, 1821 – August 5, 1897) was an American historian, philologist, bibliographer, and politician. A scholar of American Indian languages, he served as the first Connecticut State Librarian in 1854 and as Secr ...

Career and writings

In 1855, the Connecticut State Library was small and underresourced, holding only 3,000 volumes. During his 45-year tenure as State Librarian, Hoadly vastly expanded the collection, acquiring a remarkably complete collection of legal reports and statutes of Connecticut and other US states, as well as of Canada, England, Scotland, and Ireland.

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donated hundreds of books. Hoadly envisioned the library as a collection primarily for