H. Morse Stephens
Encyclopedia
H. Morse Stephens was an historian
and professor of history at the University of California, Berkeley
who helped to purchase the Bancroft Library
, and who worked to build archives of California history, the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake
, and World War I
.
, Scotland
. He was educated at Haileybury College, and attended Balliol College, Oxford University, where he was granted a B.A.
in 1880 and an M.A.
in 1892. He was a staff lecturer on the Oxford University Extension System from 1892–1894, and lecturer on Indian history at Cambridge, writing also for The Academy, The Daily Chronicle, The Speaker, and 'acting as London correspondent for The Statesman and the Calcutta Friend of India.'
in the Department of History
, where he taught European History. At Cornell, Stephens took a particular interest in advising undergraduates, starting two traditions which endured at Cornell for the next two decades: Thursday nights for upper classmen, and career conferences and advice to seniors as to their future professional careers. He was also an avid fundraiser for Cornell’s athletic teams.
In 1902, Stephens went to the University of California
as Professor of History and Director of University Extension, a position he held from 1902–1909. He served as Dean of the University of California College of Arts and Sciences from the fall of 1918 until his death. During his time at Berkeley, he worked to build the Bancroft Library
’s collection of historical materials, with special success in the area of Spanish and Mexican History, now known as the Bolton Collection.
Stephens was involved with the Bohemian Club
and wrote the script for St. Patrick at Tara, the main Grove Play performed in 1909 at the Bohemian Grove
. The play depicted Saint Patrick
and his interaction with druid
s, chieftains and kings of Ireland
.
Stephens was an active member of the American Historical Association
serving as its President in 1915. His most notable contribution in the AHA, however, was as a member of the Committee of Seven, which in 1899 produced the report The Study of History in Schools for the AHA, and which influenced the teaching of history in American schools for the next 40 years.
Stephens Hall on the U.C. Berkeley campus is named for him, as was the Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, chartered by the Grand Lodge of F. & A. Masons of California and Hawaii: Henry Morse Stephens #541, for which membership was open only to UC administrators, alumni, faculty and students. The lodge merged with other Berkeley, CA Lodges and is now part of Bay Cities Lodge #337, now in Richmond.
, at the suggestion University of California President Benjamin Ide Wheeler
, Morse joined the Committee of 50, and in consultation with Governor Pardee, moved to the Earthquake History and Statistics Committee. As a member of this committee, he worked until his death to gather as many accounts and as much historical material as he could that was related to the earthquake. Morse collected over 800 individual accounts of the earthquake and fire as well as numerous newspaper articles, photographs, and other archival material. Unfortunately, after his death, the archive was never incorporated into the Bancroft library collection, as he had intended, and was lost in the 1920s, perhaps in a 1923 Berkeley fire.
When the World War I broke out, Stephens began actively soliciting materials from around the world to document and formed a “Great War History Committee,” work that was cut short by his death on April 16, 1919.
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
and professor of history at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
who helped to purchase the Bancroft Library
Bancroft Library
The Bancroft Library is the primary special collections library of the University of California, Berkeley. It was acquired as a gift/purchase from its founder, Hubert Howe Bancroft, with the proviso that it retain the name Bancroft Library in perpetuity...
, and who worked to build archives of California history, the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was a major earthquake that struck San Francisco, California, and the coast of Northern California at 5:12 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18, 1906. The most widely accepted estimate for the magnitude of the earthquake is a moment magnitude of 7.9; however, other...
, and World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Early life
Henry Morse Stephens (he generally went by his middle name) was born on October 3, 1857 in EdinburghEdinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. He was educated at Haileybury College, and attended Balliol College, Oxford University, where he was granted a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in 1880 and an M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in 1892. He was a staff lecturer on the Oxford University Extension System from 1892–1894, and lecturer on Indian history at Cambridge, writing also for The Academy, The Daily Chronicle, The Speaker, and 'acting as London correspondent for The Statesman and the Calcutta Friend of India.'
Career as Professor of History, Dean, AHA member and President
Stephens emigrated to the United States in 1894 and took the position of Professor at Cornell UniversityCornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
in the Department of History
Cornell University Department of History
|- valign="top" ! style="border-top: solid 1px #aaaaaa;" | College | style="border-top: solid 1px #aaaaaa;" | Arts and Sciences |- valign="top" ! style="border-top: solid 1px #aaaaaa;" | Department Chair | style="border-top: solid 1px #aaaaaa;" | Barry Strauss...
, where he taught European History. At Cornell, Stephens took a particular interest in advising undergraduates, starting two traditions which endured at Cornell for the next two decades: Thursday nights for upper classmen, and career conferences and advice to seniors as to their future professional careers. He was also an avid fundraiser for Cornell’s athletic teams.
In 1902, Stephens went to the University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
as Professor of History and Director of University Extension, a position he held from 1902–1909. He served as Dean of the University of California College of Arts and Sciences from the fall of 1918 until his death. During his time at Berkeley, he worked to build the Bancroft Library
Bancroft Library
The Bancroft Library is the primary special collections library of the University of California, Berkeley. It was acquired as a gift/purchase from its founder, Hubert Howe Bancroft, with the proviso that it retain the name Bancroft Library in perpetuity...
’s collection of historical materials, with special success in the area of Spanish and Mexican History, now known as the Bolton Collection.
Stephens was involved with the Bohemian Club
Bohemian Club
The Bohemian Club is a private men's club in San Francisco, California, United States.Its clubhouse is located at 624 Taylor Street in San Francisco...
and wrote the script for St. Patrick at Tara, the main Grove Play performed in 1909 at the Bohemian Grove
Bohemian Grove
Bohemian Grove is a campground located at 20601 Bohemian Avenue, in Monte Rio, California, belonging to a private San Francisco-based men's art club known as the Bohemian Club...
. The play depicted Saint Patrick
Saint Patrick
Saint Patrick was a Romano-Briton and Christian missionary, who is the most generally recognized patron saint of Ireland or the Apostle of Ireland, although Brigid of Kildare and Colmcille are also formally patron saints....
and his interaction with druid
Druid
A druid was a member of the priestly class in Britain, Ireland, and Gaul, and possibly other parts of Celtic western Europe, during the Iron Age....
s, chieftains and kings of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
Stephens was an active member of the American Historical Association
American Historical Association
The American Historical Association is the oldest and largest society of historians and professors of history in the United States. Founded in 1884, the association promotes historical studies, the teaching of history, and the preservation of and access to historical materials...
serving as its President in 1915. His most notable contribution in the AHA, however, was as a member of the Committee of Seven, which in 1899 produced the report The Study of History in Schools for the AHA, and which influenced the teaching of history in American schools for the next 40 years.
Stephens Hall on the U.C. Berkeley campus is named for him, as was the Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, chartered by the Grand Lodge of F. & A. Masons of California and Hawaii: Henry Morse Stephens #541, for which membership was open only to UC administrators, alumni, faculty and students. The lodge merged with other Berkeley, CA Lodges and is now part of Bay Cities Lodge #337, now in Richmond.
History of the San Francisco Earthquake, World War I archives
After the 1906 San Francisco earthquake1906 San Francisco earthquake
The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was a major earthquake that struck San Francisco, California, and the coast of Northern California at 5:12 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18, 1906. The most widely accepted estimate for the magnitude of the earthquake is a moment magnitude of 7.9; however, other...
, at the suggestion University of California President Benjamin Ide Wheeler
Benjamin Ide Wheeler
Benjamin Ide Wheeler was a Greek and comparative philology professor at Cornell University as well as President of the University of California from 1899 to 1919.-Biography:...
, Morse joined the Committee of 50, and in consultation with Governor Pardee, moved to the Earthquake History and Statistics Committee. As a member of this committee, he worked until his death to gather as many accounts and as much historical material as he could that was related to the earthquake. Morse collected over 800 individual accounts of the earthquake and fire as well as numerous newspaper articles, photographs, and other archival material. Unfortunately, after his death, the archive was never incorporated into the Bancroft library collection, as he had intended, and was lost in the 1920s, perhaps in a 1923 Berkeley fire.
When the World War I broke out, Stephens began actively soliciting materials from around the world to document and formed a “Great War History Committee,” work that was cut short by his death on April 16, 1919.
External links
- AHA Reports: The Study of History in Schools(1898)_Committee of Seven: Table of Headings at www.historians.org Online index to The Committee of Seven Report.
- AHA Information: H. Morse Stephens Bibliography at www.historians.org Partial bibliography of H. Morse Stephens Essay by Stephens on History in "Counsel on the Reading of Books", edited by Henry van Dyke, American Society for the Extension of Teaching, 1900, as digitized by Google Books.
- The Directors at bancroft.berkeley.edu Online history of the Directors of the Bancroft library which describes Stephens’ role in recruiting Herbert Eugene Bolton, the first Director.
- Selling the University a Library at bancroft.berkeley.edu Photo of Stephens and description of the importance of his role in purchasing the Bancroft Library.
- Guide to the H. Morse Stephens Papers at The Bancroft Library