30 PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY 



raatical teacher, whose counsel and aid he always gratefully ac- 

 knowledged. He entered Junior at Bowdoin, September, 1820 ; and, 

 though from late hours of preceding years over Greek and Latin he 

 was compelled to study by another's eyes (his lessons being read to 

 him by his chum), he graduated, 1822, with the first honors of an able 

 class. In 1823 he received appointment as Proctor and Instructor in 

 Greek at his own College, and, soon after, as Tutor in Mathematics and 

 Natural Philosophy. 



Thus called to a new department of instruction, he detected in him- 

 self and revealed to others the peculiar talent — it may be said, original 

 power — which has given him so much of a name, and reflected so much 

 reputation on his Alma Mater. The predilection of the student had 

 been decidedly for Greek. His success, however, rarely equalled, as a 

 teacher of Algebra, excited quite an enthusiasm in his classes, and thus 

 was designated the eminently fit person to relieve Professor Cleaveland, 

 who had held that department from the opening of the College, and 

 had added Chemistry and Mineralogy to the list of his multifarious 

 duties. In 1825 he became Adjunct Professor of Mathematics and 

 Natural Philosophy, and in 1828 full Professor. 



With the deep enthusiasm of his nature he at once gave himself to 

 the study of the French systems ; read the Mecanique Celeste, and 

 soon began the work of preparing text-books for his classes. In 1830 

 he published an Algebra, which was among the first in this country in 

 which the French method was employed. This passed through several 

 editions and then gave place to two separate works, the Elementary 

 and the Larger Algebra. There followed, in rapid succession, Treatises 

 on Plane Trigonometiy and its Applications, on Analytical Geometry, 

 and the Calculus, of this last a second edition appearing in 1859. 



A man of quick sensibility to questions of right and wrong, of deep 

 religious principle, and of ardent and indefatigable nature, he could 

 not be indifferent to any worthy object of philanthropy or of public in- 

 terest. His enthusiasm was fired by the struggles of the Poles for 

 national life, and then by the Hungarian Revolution. He studied the 

 strategy, was familiar with every phase, political or military, of those 

 movements, and with the qualities of the leaders. As an earnest 

 Christian man, he could not but feel a lively concern in the case of the 

 Cherokees in our country, as a great question involving national justice 

 and honor. He early took decided position in the slavery discussion, 

 and, besides writing in the public press, prepared some of the ablest 



