James Champlin Fernald (August 18, 1838 – November 11, 1918)James C. Fernald
, ''The Montclair Times'' (November 16, 1918), p. 4.The Rev. James C. Fernald, Dead
, '' The Gazette Times'' (November 11, 1918), p. 2.''Preacher and Homiletic Monthly'', Volume 76 (1918)
p. 529
was an American clergyman and author, who became an authority on the English language.

Early life, education, and career

Born in

Portland, Maine Portland is the List of municipalities in Maine, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat, seat of Cumberland County, Maine, Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 at the 2020 census. The Portland metropolit ...

, Fernald graduated from

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

in 1860, where he won the

Bowdoin Prize The Bowdoin Prizes are prestigious awards given annually to Harvard University undergraduate and graduate students. From the income of the bequest of Governor James Bowdoin, AB 1745, prizes are offered to students at the university in graduate an ...

, and from Newton Theological Institution in 1863. Ill health prevented him from engaging in active military service in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

, but became one of the leaders in the battle-field work of the Massachusetts Relief Association, which rendered service much like that of the Red Cross. His most notable work was at the

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was a three-day battle in the American Civil War, which was fought between the Union and Confederate armies between July 1 and July 3, 1863, in and around Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle, won by the Union, ...

. In 1864 he was ordained to the Baptist ministry, and in the next 27 years held pastorates at Rutland, Vermont,

Waterville, Maine Waterville is a city in Kennebec County, Maine, United States, on the west bank of the Kennebec River. A college town, the city is home to Colby College, a New England Small College Athletic Conference, NESCAC college, and Thomas College. As ...

, and Granville, McConnellsville, Clyde, Galion, Springfield, and Garrettsville, Ohio. Going abroad to study, Fernald remained in Europe in 1866 and 1867, and from 1869 to 1872 he was in the government service. In 1889 he became a member of the staff of

Funk & Wagnalls Funk & Wagnalls was an American publisher known for its reference works, including ''A Standard Dictionary of the English Language'' (1st ed. 1893–5), and the ''Funk & Wagnalls Standard Encyclopedia'' (25 volumes, 1st ed. 1912).Funk & Wagnalls N ...

, and from 1905 to 1909 was dean of the staff of the Intercontinental University, in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

Writing

In the preparation of ''The Standard Dictionary'', Fernald was editor of synonyms, antonyms, and prepositions, and he was editor-in-chief of the ''Students' Standard Dictionary'' and other abridgments. He was editor also of ''The Classic Speller'', ''Scientific Side-Lights'' and, for a time, of '' The Homiletic Review''. He was an associate editor of the ''Columbian Cyclopedia'', and editor of the revision of the ''Concise Standard Dictionary'', in 1913; the ''Comprehensive Dictionary'', in 1914, and the ''High School Standard Dictionary'', in 1915. His last work, ''Expressive English'', was published weeks before his death. A review stated: He was also known for his support of

Prohibition in the United States The Prohibition era was the period from 1920 to 1933 when the United States prohibited the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages. The alcohol industry was curtailed by a succession of state legislatures, an ...

, and his book to this end, ''The Economics of Prohibition'', was described as "well-known" and "virtually the text book of the anti-liquor movement". Other writings by Fernald included:

English language and grammar

* ''Synonyms, Antonyms, and Prepositions of the English Language'' * ''Connectives of English Speech'' * ''A Working Grammar of the English Language'' * ''English Grammar Simplified''

Other subjects

* ''The Economics of Prohibition'' * ''The New Womanhood'' * ''The Spaniard in History'' * ''The Imperial Republic'' * ''Home Training of Children'' * ''True Motherhood''

Personal life

In 1872, Fernald married Nettie Barker in Ohio, with whom he had four sons and two daughters who lived to adulthood. He died after a long illness at his home in

Montclair, New Jersey Montclair is a Township (New Jersey), township in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Situated on the cliffs of the Watchung Mountains, Montclair is a commercial and cultural hub of North Jersey and a diverse ...

, at the age of 80.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fernald, James Champlin 1838 births 1918 deaths People from Portland, Maine Harvard University alumni 19th-century Baptist ministers from the United States 20th-century Baptist ministers from the United States American writers