Thomas Sherwin (March 26, 1799 – July 23, 1869) was an American educator. He was master of the

English High School of Boston The English High School in Boston, Massachusetts, founded in 1821, is one of the first public high schools in the United States. Originally called The English Classical School, it was renamed upon its first relocation in 1824.''Encyclopædia Bri ...

from 1838 until 1869.

Biography

Thomas Sherwin was born in

Westmoreland, New Hampshire Westmoreland is a town in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,706 at the 2020 census, down from 1,874 at the 2010 census. Westmoreland is historically an agricultural town, with much arable farmland. History ...

on March 26, 1799. He worked on a farm in

Temple, New Hampshire Temple is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. Its population was 1,382 at the 2020 census. It is home to Temple Mountain State Reservation, formerly the Temple Mountain Ski Area. History The area was first called "Pe ...

, served an apprenticeship to a clothier in

Groton, Massachusetts Groton is a town in northwestern Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, within the Greater Boston metropolitan area. The population was 11,315 at the 2020 census. An affluent bedroom community roughly 45 miles from Boston, Groton has a ...

, and, after graduation at

Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher lear ...

in 1825, taught an academy in

Lexington, Massachusetts Lexington is a suburban town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, located 10 miles (16 km) from Downtown Boston. The population was 34,454 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The area was originally inhabited by ...

, in 1825/26. He was a tutor in mathematics at Harvard in 1826/27. In 1828, Sherwin became submaster of the

, of which he had charge from 1838 until his death. This school was reputed a model of its kind. He was an originator of the American Institute of Instruction in 1830, its president in 1853/4, a member of the

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (The Academy) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and other ...

, was active in establishing the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...

, and was president of the Massachusetts Teachers' Association in 1845. He was the author of an ''Elementary Treatise on Algebra'' (Boston, 1841). He married Mary King Gibbens on June 10, 1836, and they had three children. His son, also named

Thomas Sherwin Thomas Sherwin (July 11, 1839 – December 19, 1914) was an American Civil War general and executive. He was the son of educator Thomas Sherwin, master of the English High School of Boston. The younger Sherwin taught in Dedham, Massachusett ...

, was lieutenant colonel of the 22nd Massachusetts Regiment during 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 ...

. The elder Thomas Sherwin died from heart disease at his home in

Dedham, Massachusetts Dedham ( ) is a New England town, town in, and the county seat of, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Located on Boston's southwestern border, the population was 25,364 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. First settled by E ...

on July 23, 1869.

Notes

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sherwin, Thomas 1799 births 1869 deaths Educators from Boston Harvard University alumni People from Westmoreland, New Hampshire Educators from Dedham, Massachusetts 19th-century American educators Burials at Old Village Cemetery