Guide to the Henry Barnard letters, 1846-1899
(bulk 1846-1853)
Special Collections, James P. Adams Library.
Rhode Island College
600 Mount Pleasant Ave
Providence, RI, 02908
Tel: 401-456-8380
email:digitalcommons@ric.edu
Published in 2023
Collection Overview
| Title: | Henry Barnard letters |
| Date range: | 1846-1899, (bulk 1846-1853) |
| Creator: | Barnard, Henry, 1811-1900 |
| Extent: | 0.05 cubic feet |
| Abstract: | The collection includes a dozen original letters written by Henry Barnard in the mid-to-late nineteenth century. |
| Language of materials: | English |
| Repository: | Special Collections, James P. Adams Library. |
| Collection number: | MSS-0096 |
Scope & content
The collection includes various letters regarding education written by Henry Barnard to A. D. Lord in Kirtland, Lake County, Ohio and Miss Marble at the State Normal School in Providence, Rhode Island. The collection also includes the typed transcripts of handwritten letters.Access Points
Subject Names Subject Topics Geographical Names Document TypesArrangement
The collection is arranged in chronological order.
Biographical/Historical Note
Henry Barnard was born in Hartford, Connecticut in 1811. In 1843, he was appointed by the governor of Rhode Island to examine public schools in the state and recommend improvements. Barnard was the first commissioner of public schools in Rhode Island, serving from 1845-1849. In 1845, Barnard established the Smithville Seminary, a teacher’s college, in Rhode Island and later served as superintendent and principal of the Connecticut State Normal School in New Britain, Connecticut from 1851-1855. He also was the chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison (1859-1860), president of St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland (1866), and served as the first United States Commissioner of Education (1867-1870). Barnard died in Hartford, Connecticut in 1900.Access & Use
| Access to the collection: | The collection is open for research. |
| Use of the materials: | Researchers are advised to contact Rhode Island College Special Collections for questions regarding permissions to reproduce, distribute, or otherwise publish material from this collection. Although Rhode Island College has physical ownership of the collection, it does not necessarily hold literary rights. It is up to the researcher to determine the owners of the literary rights and to obtain any necessary permissions from them. |
| Alternate form: | This collection has not been digitized. For information about obtaining digital copies, please contact the Rhode Island College Special Collections. |
| Preferred citation: | Henry Barnard letters, MSS-0096, Special Collections, James P. Adams Library, Rhode Island College. |
| Contact information: | Special Collections, James P. Adams Library. Rhode Island College 600 Mount Pleasant Ave Providence, RI, 02908 Tel: 401-456-8380 email:digitalcommons@ric.edu |
Administrative Information
| ABOUT THE COLLECTION | |
| Acquisition: | Provenance of the collection is unknown. It was in the holdings of Special Collections prior to 2023. |
| Processing information: | The collection was described by Special Collections intern, Melissa Moniz, in 2023 under the supervision of Digital Archivist and Special Collections Librarian, Veronica L. Denison. |
| ABOUT THE FINDING AID | |
| Author: | Finding aid prepared by Melissa Moniz and Veronica L. Denison. |
| Encoding: | This finding aid was encoded by Veronica L. Denison, 2023. |
| Descriptive rules: | Finding aid based on Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS) |
Additional Information
| Location/Existence of copies: | This collection has not been digitized. For information about obtaining digital copies, please contact the Rhode Island College Special Collections. |