ma15 Nathan Welby Fiske Papers, 1824-1847 Finding Aid Finding aid prepared by . Encoding funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Amherst College Archives and Special Collections

Amherst, MA

Finding aid encoded using Perl scripts and edited in XMetal 2.0. Encoded by Sarah Sorscher. 2002-07-25 Finding aid written in English. 2005-09-23 ma15 converted from EAD 1.0 to 2002 by v1to02-5c.xsl (sy2003-10-15). Amherst College Archives and Special Collections Nathan Welby Fiske Papers, 1824-1847 Finding Aid Encoding funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Collection Overview Fiske, N. W. (Nathan Welby), 1798-1847 Fiske Papers 1824-1847 5 archives boxes (2.5 linear ft.) Amherst College Archives and Special Collections The bulk of his collection is comprised of notes by Fiske on Greek Language and Literature, Mental and moral philosophy and American History, in which he apparently had an interest. English. Biographical Note

Nathan Welby Fiske, the father of Helen Hunt Jackson, was born on April 17, 1798 in Weston, Mass. He graduated with high honors from Dartmouth College in 1817. From there he went to New Castle, Maine where he had charge of the Academy there for one year. After this he returned to Dartmouth where he tutored for two years. He entered the Theological Seminary at Andover in the autumn of 1820, where he spent three years, and closed his preparatory studies for the ministry in the fall of 1823. His was not a career in the ministry, however. He spent only one year preaching in Savannah, Ga., among seamen and others not connected to any organized Christian congregations. After turning down an invitation from the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions to do missionary work in China, he accepted the appointment of Professor of Languages at Amherst College and began his duties in 1824. He was successively Professor of Latin and Greek Languages, 1824-25; Professor of Greek Language and Literature and Belles Letters, 1833-36; Professor of Moral Philosophy and Metaphysics, 1836-47. He died of dysentery in 1847 in Jerusalem, where he had gone for his health.

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The bulk of his collection is comprised of notes by Fiske on Greek Language and Literature, Mental and moral philosophy and American History, in which he apparently had an interest.

Organization of the Collection

This collection is organized into five series:

1. Correspondence 2. Notes for Lectures on Greek Literature & Philosophy, Mental Philosophy, Sacred History, Ancient Geography, American History 3. Published Works 4. Works about Fiske 5. Miscellaneous Information on Use Terms of Access and Use

There is no restriction on access to the Papers for research use. Particularly fragile items are restricted for preservation purposes.

Requests for permission to publish material from the Papers should be directed to the Archives and Special Collections. It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyrights.

Preferred Citation

Please use the following format when citing materials from this collection:

[Identification of item], in Nathan Welby Fiske Papers [Box #, folder #], Amherst College Archives and Special Collections, Amherst College Library

Search Terms Fiske, N. W. (Nathan Welby), 1798-1847. Amherst College--Faculty. Presbyterian Church--Clergy--Biography--Sources. Latin literature--Study and teaching--Massachusetts--Amherst. Greek literature--Study and teaching--Massachusetts--Amherst. Lecture notes--Amherst College. Additional Information Section 1: Correspondence 1 1 Three letters to Fiske 1 2 Two letters to Fiske Section 2: Notes for Lectures on Greek Literature & Philosophy, Mental Philosophy, Sacred History, Ancient Geography, American History Subsection A: GREEK LITERATURE 1 3 Outline of the course in Greek. 1 4 Notes on Greek Philosophy 1 5 Notes on Greek Literature and History. 1 6 Notes on Greek Literature 1 7 Notes on Greek Literature 1 8 Notes on Greek Literature 1 9 Two notebooks on Greek Literature. 1 10 Rules for pronouncing Latin and Greek - printed pamphlet. Subsection B: MENTAL AND MORAL PHILOSOPHY 2 1 "Outlines of Mental Philosophy or Psychology in a System of Questions" - printed pamphlet (2 copies) 2 2 Notes on Will 2 3 Two notebooks on Mental Philosophy. 2 4 Three notebooks on Mental Philosophy. 2 5 Four notebooks on Mental Philosophy. 2 6 Two notebooks on Mental Philosophy. 3 1 Seven notebooks on Christian Theology. 3 2 Three notebooks on Philosophy of the human mind. Subsection C: SACRED HISTORY 3 3 Seven notebooks on Sacred History. Subsection D: ANCIENT GEOGRAPHY 3 4 Six notes on Ancient Geography. 3 5 Six notebooks on Ancient Geography (Assyrian Empire, Egypt, Voyages of Columbus, North America) Subsection E. AMERICAN HISTORY 3 6 Lexington 3 7 Progress of Discovery in North America. 4 1 Bunker Hill 4 2 Campaign in Louisiana, 1814, 1815 4 3 Siege of Boston 4 4 American Revolution - from Trenton and Princeton Battles to Battle of Brandywine. 4 5 Battle of Long Island and retreat to New York 4 6 Harrison's History as commander of the Northwestern Army in the late War with Great Britain. 4 7 Siege of Yorktown and Capture of Cornwallis 4 8 Burgoyne's Expedition 4 9 Pertaining to the events after Retreat from Long Island to the Battle of Trenton, including the battle of the White Plains. 4 10 Battles of Brandywine, Germantown, Rhode Island. 4 11 Causes of the American Revolution. 4 12 On the Constitution of the United States. 4 13 Evils of the Revolutionary War. 4 14 Miscellaneous notes on the Revolutionary War. 4 15 Notes for a sermon Section 3: Published Works 5 1 Obituary address at the funeral of the Rev. Royal Washburn, Pastor of the first Church and Parish Amherst, Mass. Jan. 4, 1833 (4 copies). Also a volume containing sermon by Rev. Washburn. 1833 5 2 Book - Tuwarri: A Story of the Coral Isles, Boston, Massachusetts Sabbath School Society, 1848. 1848 5 3 Book with preface and memoir of author by Fiske: The Course of Time, a poem by Robert Pollok A.M., New York, M'Elrath and Bangee, 1832 (2 copies) 1832 Section 4: Works about Fiske 5 4 Sermon preached at the ordination of Fiske by Elias Cornelius. 5 5 A Tribute to the Memory of Rev. Nathan W. Fiske. Late Professor of Intellectual and Moral Philosophy in Amherst College by Rev. Heman Humphrey, D.D. (3 copies)

Transferred to book collection; consult library catalog for location.

5 6 Death of Professor Fiske - manuscript of article from Hampshire & Franklin Express, July 22, 1847 1847 Section 5: Miscellaneous 5 7 Notes on other professor's lectures at the Andover Theological Seminary (5notebooks) 5 8 Newspaper clippings