120 NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 
ALEXIS CASWELL 
Born, January 29, 1799; died, January 8, 1877 
Alexis Caswell, who was descended from early settlers of 
New England and traced his pedigree back to Peregrine White, 
was born at Taunton, Massachusetts, January 29, 1799. His 
childhood was spent on a farm, and when he arrived at the proper 
age was prepared for college at Bristol Academy in Taunton. 
He entered Brown University at the age of 19 and was graduated 
in 1822, with first honors. For five years he was a tutor or pro- 
fessor in Columbian College, Washington, at the same time 
pursuing studies in theology under the guidance of the Presi- 
dent, Dr. Staughton. After preaching a year in Halifax, he 
became assistant to the Rev. S. Gano, at the First Baptist Church 
in Providence, Rhode Island, but in the course of a few weeks 
he was appointed Professor of Mathematics and Natural 
Philosophy in Brown University. Except for a year spent in 
Europe, Professor Caswell performed the duties of this position 
for 35 years, adding to them those of the President, when Dr. 
Wayland’s absence or indisposition necessitated a substitute. 
Resigning his professorship in 1863, he spent five years in 
pursuing his favorite studies, and was then called to the pres- 
idency of Brown University, and retained that office until 1872. 
A little later, Dr. Caswell was elected a member of the board of 
trustees of the University and in 1875 became a fellow in the 
corporation. The University had previously conferred on him 
the degrees of Doctor of Divinity and Doctor of Laws. For 
nearly 50 years he was closely associated with his Alma Mater, 
and his life work was that of an educator. 
His greatest interest as a scientific investigator was in 
meteorology and astronomy. For 284 years, with few interrup- 
tions, he made a regular series of meteorological observations at 
College Hill in Providence, the results of which were pub- 
lished in the Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge. Adding 
later observations, a period of 45 years was covered. In 1858 
Dr. Caswell delivered four lectures on astronomy at the Smith- 
sonian Institution in Washington. He joined the American 
