Dr. Francis Andrew March (October 25, 1825 – September 9, 1911) was an American
polymath
A polymath or polyhistor is an individual whose knowledge spans many different subjects, known to draw on complex bodies of knowledge to solve specific problems. Polymaths often prefer a specific context in which to explain their knowledge, ...
, academic,
philologist
Philology () is the study of language in oral and written historical sources. It is the intersection of textual criticism, literary criticism, history, and linguistics with strong ties to etymology. Philology is also defined as the study of ...
, and
lexicographer
Lexicography is the study of lexicons and the art of compiling dictionaries. It is divided into two separate academic disciplines:
* Practical lexicography is the art or craft of compiling, writing and editing dictionary, dictionaries.
* The ...
. He is considered the principal founder of modern
comparative linguistics
Comparative linguistics is a branch of historical linguistics that is concerned with comparing languages to establish their historical relatedness.
Genetic relatedness implies a common origin or proto-language and comparative linguistics aim ...
in
Old English
Old English ( or , or ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. It developed from the languages brought to Great Britain by Anglo-S ...
.
Also known as the "Grand Old Man of
Lafayette",
March was the first individual to hold the title "Professor of English Language and Literature" anywhere in the United States or Europe. March is predominantly recognized for performing his duties as "Professor of the English Language and Comparative Philology" at
Lafayette College
Lafayette College is a private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Easton, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter and other citizens in Easton, the college first held classes in 18 ...
, where he taught for 56 years.
Early life and education
March was born on October 25, 1825, in Sutton, Massachusetts, in present-day
Millbury, Massachusetts. Three years later, his family relocated to
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Massachusetts, second-most populous city in the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the list of United States cities by population, 113th most populous city in the United States. Named after Worcester ...
. As a child, he was educated in the
Worcester public school system. March recalled being grateful for the education he received in the district, explaining his kindergarten teacher "made the children understand many things before the usual time."
This prepared him for high school, where March became a clever and active participant in his classes and activities. He became a writer, read on a wide range of subjects, performed in school plays, and even wrote plays himself.
At the age of 15, March was ready for college, but his father experienced business troubles which hindered March's ability to afford tuition. The Honorable Alfred D. Foster of Worcester, however, offered to fund a portion of his education at
Amherst College
Amherst College ( ) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1821 as an attempt to relocate Williams College by its then-president Zepha ...
.
During his time in college, March maintained prominence in scholarship as well and athletics. He graduated in 1845 as valedictorian and as a member of
Phi Beta Kappa
The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States. It was founded in 1776 at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences, ...
.
He also received an
M.A. degree from Amherst in 1848, with an oration on "Relation of the Study of Jurisprudence to the
Baconian Philosophy."
During his time at Amherst, his attention to the study of
Anglo-Saxon
The Anglo-Saxons, in some contexts simply called Saxons or the English, were a Cultural identity, cultural group who spoke Old English and inhabited much of what is now England and south-eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. They traced t ...
was inspired by
Noah Webster
Noah Webster (October 16, 1758 – May 28, 1843) was an American lexicographer, textbook pioneer, English-language spelling reformer, political writer, editor, and author. He has been called the "Father of American Scholarship and Education" ...
.
Career
Teaching
Immediately following his graduation from Amherst, March began teaching at an academy in
Swanzey, New Hampshire
Swanzey is a town in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 7,270 at the 2020 census. In addition to the town center, Swanzey includes the villages of East Swanzey, West Swanzey, North Swanzey and Westport.
History ...
. He then taught for two years at
Leicester Academy
Leicester Academy was a private, state chartered school in Leicester, Massachusetts.
History
Leicester Academy was founded on March 23, 1784, when the Act of Incorporation for Leicester Academy was passed by the Massachusetts General Court as a ...
in
Leicester, Massachusetts
Leicester ( ) is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 11,087 at the 2020 United States census.
History
What is now Leicester was originally settled by the Nipmuc people and was known by them as ''Towtaid' ...
, where he began formulating his plan to teach English and literature. From 1847 to 1848, he was a tutor at his alma mater.
March also expressed an interest in law. In 1849, he entered as a law student for the office of Barney and Butler. A year later, March was admitted to the New York bar. He began practicing the profession with partner Gordon L. Ford Esq. However, in 1852, March experienced severe health issues. He suffered a hemorrhage of the lungs and was rushed to
Cuba
Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...
, where it was hoped that Cuba's gentler climate would alleviate the problem, which it did. He resumed work the following year, securing a position teaching law at a private academy in
Fredericksburg, Virginia
Fredericksburg is an Independent city (United States), independent city in Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 27,982. It is south of Washington, D.C., and north of Richmond, Virginia, R ...
, for three years.
Lafayette College
After studying law and teaching, March became an English tutor at
Lafayette College
Lafayette College is a private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Easton, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter and other citizens in Easton, the college first held classes in 18 ...
in
Easton, Pennsylvania
Easton is a city in and the county seat of Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city's population was 28,127 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Easton is located at the confluence of the Lehigh River and the Delawa ...
, in 1856, appointed by the college's new president
George Wilson McPhail. He worked for one year as a tutor and then became a professor of English Language and Comparative Philology from 1857 to 1907. Lafayette was the first college in the world to have the
philology
Philology () is the study of language in Oral tradition, oral and writing, written historical sources. It is the intersection of textual criticism, literary criticism, history, and linguistics with strong ties to etymology. Philology is also de ...
of the English language studied – a course all American colleges soon thereafter incorporated into their own curricula.
March was the first to hold the title of "Professor of English Language and Literature" anywhere in the United States or Europe.
He also occupied the chair of English Language and Comparative Philology, and served as the first librarian of the college.
March had a significant career at Lafayette College and remained loyal to the school, often turning down offers from larger universities as his published work and teaching style became more well-known. March helped improve Lafayette by using his wisdom and insight to bring the college to a new stage. He was devoted to both increasing the analysis of English literature in higher institutions, as well as in growing the college's academics. In addition to English, March also taught French, German, Greek, Latin,
botany
Botany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science and biology studying plants, especially Plant anatomy, their anatomy, Plant taxonomy, taxonomy, and Plant ecology, ecology. A botanist or plant scientist is a scientist who s ...
, "
mental philosophy",
political economy
Political or comparative economy is a branch of political science and economics studying economic systems (e.g. Marketplace, markets and national economies) and their governance by political systems (e.g. law, institutions, and government). Wi ...
, critical examination of the
US Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, 1789. Originally including seven articles, the Constitut ...
,
public law
Public law is the part of law that governs relations and affairs between legal persons and a government, between different institutions within a state, between different branches of governments, as well as relationships between persons that ...
and
Roman law
Roman law is the law, legal system of ancient Rome, including the legal developments spanning over a thousand years of jurisprudence, from the Twelve Tables (), to the (AD 529) ordered by Eastern Roman emperor Justinian I.
Roman law also den ...
.
March brought a new outlook to teaching English by introducing a detailed examination of linguistic and rhetorical pieces. By applying the methods of studying Latin and Greek classics towards the study of
English literature
English literature is literature written in the English language from the English-speaking world. The English language has developed over more than 1,400 years. The earliest forms of English, a set of Anglo-Frisian languages, Anglo-Frisian d ...
, he led the way for the first scientific study of the English language. March is also said to be the first person to include one of Shakespeare's plays on his course syllabus.
March had a pedagogical philosophy and unique approach to the systematic study of the English language. His outlook was "the greatest pioneering step ever made in the realm of scholarship by Lafayette College."
One of his most distinct analytical contributions was his philology-across-the-curriculum approach in which "professors train the students in each department to write on subjects connected with it in the words and phrases current among experts."
March had a son who also became an English professor at Lafayette and they worked alongside each other.
Academic focus
Philology
Outside of teaching, Francis A. March contributed to many advancements in
philology
Philology () is the study of language in Oral tradition, oral and writing, written historical sources. It is the intersection of textual criticism, literary criticism, history, and linguistics with strong ties to etymology. Philology is also de ...
. He contributed to over 200 periodical publications in philology, the historical study of grammar, the teaching of literature, and
pedagogy
Pedagogy (), most commonly understood as the approach to teaching, is the theory and practice of learning, and how this process influences, and is influenced by, the social, political, and psychological development of learners. Pedagogy, taken ...
.
In addition, he published four volumes of Latin and Greek classics. In 1869, he published what is considered to be his masterpiece, "A Comparative Grammar of the Anglo-Saxon Language."
This work gained him recognition as a distinguished scholar in the philological world. From 1873 to 1874, and again from 1895 to 1896, he served as the president of the
American Philological Association
The Society for Classical Studies (SCS), formerly known as the American Philological Association (APA), is a non-profit North American scholarly organization devoted to all aspects of Greek and Roman civilization founded in 1869. It is the pree ...
.
Later, in 1903 he published "A Thesaurus Dictionary of the English Language."
Spelling reform
March was one of the chief reformers in the spelling of English words. He believed in simpler spellings. In his writings, he often spelled words phonetically to emphasize his passion for spelling reform. In 1876, he became the permanent President of the Spelling Reform Association. He remained president until 1906.
Lexicography
March also pursued an interest in Lexicography. This may have stemmed from his connection with
Noah Webster
Noah Webster (October 16, 1758 – May 28, 1843) was an American lexicographer, textbook pioneer, English-language spelling reformer, political writer, editor, and author. He has been called the "Father of American Scholarship and Education" ...
. March initially heard Webster speak while he was a student at
Amherst College
Amherst College ( ) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1821 as an attempt to relocate Williams College by its then-president Zepha ...
. He also studied under Webster's son-in-law,
William Chauncey Fowler. Webster's Dictionary also had a strong impact on March.
March aligned with the premise that spelling, grammar, and usage should be based on the spoken word. March was the first American superintendent over the volunteer reading program of the ''
Oxford English Dictionary
The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the principal historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP), a University of Oxford publishing house. The dictionary, which published its first editio ...
'', thus providing valuable support to
James Murray in the compilation of this monumental work.
He also served as the consulting editor of
Funk and Wagnalls' Standard Dictionary from 1879 to 1892.
Personal life
March married Margaret Mildred Stone Conway (1837–1911) on August 12, 1860. Together they had nine children: historian Francis Andrew March Jr., Peyton C. March, Thomas Stone March, Alden March, Moncure March, John Lewis March, Mildred March, Margaret D. March, and General
Peyton C. March.
Francis A. March Jr. later worked at Lafayette College as a professor and became the namesake for Lafayette College's March Field.
General Peyton C. March was chief of staff of the United States Army during the
First World War
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. Meanwhile, Thomas Stone March became a superintendent of schools in Greensburg, Pennsylvania; Alden March became a Sunday editor of ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'';and John Lewis March became a professor of modern languages at
Union College
Union College is a Private university, private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, and second in the s ...
in Schenectady, New York.
Death
Francis A. March died on September 9, 1911, at the age of 85 in his home on
Lafayette College
Lafayette College is a private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Easton, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter and other citizens in Easton, the college first held classes in 18 ...
's campus.
He is buried in Easton Cemetery in
Northampton County, Pennsylvania
Northampton County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 312,951. Its county seat is Easton. The county was formed in 1752 from parts of Bucks County. Its namesake was the c ...
. On December 30, 1913, in
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is a suburb in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, located directly across the Charles River from Boston. The city's population as of the 2020 United States census, ...
, March's colleague, Professor
James Bright, delivered a commemoration in his honor at the Joint Session of the
American Philological Association
The Society for Classical Studies (SCS), formerly known as the American Philological Association (APA), is a non-profit North American scholarly organization devoted to all aspects of Greek and Roman civilization founded in 1869. It is the pree ...
and the
Modern Language Association
The Modern Language Association of America, often referred to as the Modern Language Association (MLA), is widely considered the principal professional association in the United States for scholars of language and literature. The MLA aims to "str ...
.
Legacy

March worked at
Lafayette College
Lafayette College is a private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Easton, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter and other citizens in Easton, the college first held classes in 18 ...
for more than fifty years,
passing up opportunities at other institutions
in order to continue to study, teach, and publish at the small liberal arts school.
While praised for his hard work, March is also remembered for being the first academic in the country to study and teach English texts in the same manner professors taught Greek and Latin classics. His examination of the English language led Lafayette College to set up the first chair at any college in the United States for the study of English texts from a modern viewpoint.
Lafayette College maintains a chaired professorship in March's honor. Lafayette College also has a Francis A. March Fellowship that is awarded to a senior who has excelled in the English department and has been accepted into a graduate school approved by the college's English department. Beyond his professional impact, colleague James A. Bright, also commented on how March personally shaped the Lafayette College community. Bright spoke highly of the way in which March built relationships with faculty and served as a mentor to students.
March's lasting legacy can also be seen in the wider
Easton, Pennsylvania
Easton is a city in and the county seat of Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city's population was 28,127 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Easton is located at the confluence of the Lehigh River and the Delawa ...
, community, where an elementary school is named in his honor. Francis A. March Elementary School in the
College Hill Residential Historic District is part of the
Easton Area School District, which serves
Northampton County.
The wider academic community has also recognized the value of March's contributions and work. Each year, the Modern Language Association gives two distinguished scholar-teachers awards named after Francis A. March.
The
Association of Departments of English
The Association of Departments of English (ADE) is an American professional organization under the auspices of the Modern Language Association.
The ADE was founded by Warner Rice (then English chair at the University of Michigan), with the coopera ...
has established the Francis Andrew March Award to recognize and honor scholars who have made paramount contributions to the study of English.
Achievements and honorary degrees
Francis A. March's monumental works have been highly recognized in academia. March was the first to hold the title of "Professor of English Language and Literature" in both the United States and Europe.
This appointment was "the greatest pioneering step ever made in the realm of scholarship by Lafayette College," as described in the Skillman biography of the college.
He was elected president of the
Modern Language Association
The Modern Language Association of America, often referred to as the Modern Language Association (MLA), is widely considered the principal professional association in the United States for scholars of language and literature. The MLA aims to "str ...
from 1891 to 1893, president of the
American Philological Association
The Society for Classical Studies (SCS), formerly known as the American Philological Association (APA), is a non-profit North American scholarly organization devoted to all aspects of Greek and Roman civilization founded in 1869. It is the pree ...
from 1873 to 1893 and 1895 to 1896, president of the Spelling Reform Association of 1876 to 1905, and was the vice president of London's
New Shakspere Society, deliberately spelled with an archaic spelling of
Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
's name.
March was also the first American member of London's
Philosophical Society and Paris's L’Association Fonetique de Professeurs de Langues Vivants.
In 1878, March was elected as a member to the
American Philosophical Society
The American Philosophical Society (APS) is an American scholarly organization and learned society founded in 1743 in Philadelphia that promotes knowledge in the humanities and natural sciences through research, professional meetings, publicat ...
.
On October 21, 1881, March was elected into the
American Antiquarian Society
The American Antiquarian Society (AAS), located in Worcester, Massachusetts, is both a learned society and a national research library of pre-twentieth-century American history and culture. Founded in 1812, it is the oldest historical society in ...
. Members are elected by their colleagues for their tremendous contributions and discoveries within academia.
During his 56-year career at
Lafayette College
Lafayette College is a private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Easton, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter and other citizens in Easton, the college first held classes in 18 ...
, March received several honorary degrees from world-renowned academic institutions. In 1870,
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...
awarded March with the degree of
Legum Doctor Legum is an English surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Colin Legum (1919–2003), British anti-apartheid activist
* Judd Legum (born 1978), American journalist, lawyer, and political staffer
* Margaret Legum (1933–2007), Brit ...
(LL.D). In 1887,
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...
commemorated March with the degree of
Doctor of Humane Letters (D.H.L.).
In 1896, he was awarded both the degree of
Doctor of Civil Law
Doctor of Civil Law (DCL; ) is a degree offered by some universities, such as the University of Oxford, instead of the more common Doctor of Laws (LLD) degrees.
At Oxford, the degree is a higher doctorate usually awarded on the basis of except ...
(D.C.L.) from the
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...
, as well as the degree of
Doctor of Letters
Doctor of Letters (D.Litt., Litt.D., Latin: ' or '), also termed Doctor of Literature in some countries, is a terminal degree in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. In the United States, at universities such as Drew University, the degree ...
(Litt.D) from the
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...
. At this time, March was one of only six people to ever be honored with such prestigious accolades by these universities.
Bibliography
*''Method of Philological Study of the English Language'' (1865)
*''A Parser and Analyzer for Beginners'' (1869)
*''A Comparative Grammar of the Anglo-Saxon Language'' (1870) (reprinted, 1977). Based on ten years of intensive research, the work examines the relationship of Anglo-Saxon to Sanskrit, Greek, Latin, and five Germanic languages.
*''Introduction to Anglo-Saxon: An Anglo-Saxon Reader'' (1870)
*''Latin Hymns with English Notes'' (1874)
*''The Spelling Reform'' (1893), a contribution to the reform of English
orthography
An orthography is a set of convention (norm), conventions for writing a language, including norms of spelling, punctuation, Word#Word boundaries, word boundaries, capitalization, hyphenation, and Emphasis (typography), emphasis.
Most national ...
.
Edited works
*March served as editor of the ''Douglass Series of Christian Greek and Latin Writers'', to which he contributed Latin Hymns.
*With his son Francis Andrew March (1863–1928), he edited ''A Thesaurus Dictionary of the English Language'' (1903; 2nd ed., 1980).
References
Sources
*
*
*
*
*
Simon Winchester
Simon Winchester (born 28 September 1944) is a British-American author and journalist. In his career at ''The Guardian'' newspaper, Winchester covered numerous significant events, including Bloody Sunday (1972), Bloody Sunday and the Watergate S ...
, ''
The Meaning of Everything'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003).
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:March, Francis
1825 births
1911 deaths
American philologists
Anglo-Saxon studies scholars
American lexicographers
Amherst College alumni
Lafayette College faculty
Linguists from the United States
People from Easton, Pennsylvania
People from Millbury, Massachusetts
Presidents of the Modern Language Association
Members of the American Philosophical Society