William Holmes McGuffey (September 23, 1800 – May 4, 1873) was an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professor and college president who is best known for writing the
McGuffey ReadersTwo of the best known school books in the history of American education were the 18th century New England Primer and the 19th century McGuffey Readers. Of the two, McGuffey's was more popular and widely used...
, one of the nation's first and most widely used series of textbooks. It is estimated that at least 122 million copies of
McGuffey Readers were sold between 1836 and 1960, placing its sales in a category with the
BibleThe Bible contains the central religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. Modern Judaism generally recognizes a single set of canonical books known as the Tanakh, or Hebrew Bible, as it is written almost entirely in the Hebrew language, with some small portions in Aramaic...
and
Webster's DictionaryWebster's Dictionary is the name given to a common type of English language dictionary in the United States. The name is derived from lexicographer Noah Webster and has become a genericized trademark for this type of dictionary....
.
He was born the son of Alexander and Anna (Holmes) McGuffey near
ClaysvilleClaysville is a borough in Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 724 at the 2000 census. Claysville Elementary School, part of the McGuffey School District is located in Claysville....
in
Washington CountyWashington County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and is part of the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2000, the population was 202,897. It was created on March 28, 1781, from part of Westmoreland County. Its county seat is Washington...
,
PennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , often colloquially referred to as PA by natives and Northeasterners, is a state located in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States...
, which is 45 miles southwest of Pittsburgh.
William Holmes McGuffey (September 23, 1800 – May 4, 1873) was an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professor and college president who is best known for writing the
McGuffey ReadersTwo of the best known school books in the history of American education were the 18th century New England Primer and the 19th century McGuffey Readers. Of the two, McGuffey's was more popular and widely used...
, one of the nation's first and most widely used series of textbooks. It is estimated that at least 122 million copies of
McGuffey Readers were sold between 1836 and 1960, placing its sales in a category with the
BibleThe Bible contains the central religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. Modern Judaism generally recognizes a single set of canonical books known as the Tanakh, or Hebrew Bible, as it is written almost entirely in the Hebrew language, with some small portions in Aramaic...
and
Webster's DictionaryWebster's Dictionary is the name given to a common type of English language dictionary in the United States. The name is derived from lexicographer Noah Webster and has become a genericized trademark for this type of dictionary....
.
Early years
He was born the son of Alexander and Anna (Holmes) McGuffey near
ClaysvilleClaysville is a borough in Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 724 at the 2000 census. Claysville Elementary School, part of the McGuffey School District is located in Claysville....
in
Washington CountyWashington County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and is part of the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2000, the population was 202,897. It was created on March 28, 1781, from part of Westmoreland County. Its county seat is Washington...
,
PennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , often colloquially referred to as PA by natives and Northeasterners, is a state located in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States...
, which is 45 miles southwest of Pittsburgh. In 1802 the McGuffey family moved further out into the frontier at
Tuscarawas County, OhioTuscarawas County is a county located in the eastern part of the state of Ohio. As of the 2000 census, the population was 90,914. Its county seat is New Philadelphia...
. He attended country school, and after receiving special instruction at
YoungstownYoungstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Mahoning County, whose urban area borders Trumbull County. The municipality is situated on the Mahoning River, approximately southeast of Cleveland and northwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
, he attended
Greersburg AcademyThe Greersburg Academy was an institution established by Reverend Thomas Hughes in Darlington, Pennsylvania, United States in 1802. The academy was created as a "prep" school for college. Classes included languages, philosophy, and astronomy. The stone structure was built around 1806 making it...
in
Darlington, PennsylvaniaDarlington is a borough in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 299 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Darlington is located at ....
. Afterwards, he attended and graduated from Pennsylvania's
Washington CollegeWashington & Jefferson College is a private, coeducational, liberal arts college located in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, in the city of Washington, Pennsylvania, USA...
, where he became an instructor.
Professional life
McGuffey left Washington College in 1826 to become a professor at
Miami UniversityMiami University is a coeducational public university located in the college town of Oxford, Ohio. The university was founded in 1809 and is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and second oldest in the U.S. state of Ohio. Miami is cited as one of the eight original Public...
in
Oxford, OhioOxford is a city in northwestern Butler County, Ohio, United States, in the southwestern portion of the state. It lies in Oxford Township, originally called the College Township. The population was 21,943 at the 2000 census. This college town was founded as a home for Miami University. Oxford...
. A year later in 1827, he was married to Harriet Spinning of
Dayton, OhioDayton is a city in and the county seat of Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. The population was 166,179 at the 2000 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 848,153 in the 2000 census. Dayton is the fourth largest...
, with whom he had five children. In 1829, he was ordained at Bethel Chapel as a minister in the Presbyterian Church. It was in Oxford that he created the most important contribution of his life:
The McGuffey Readers. His books sold over 122 million copies. He was very fond of teaching and children as he geared the books toward a younger audience.
In 1836, he left Miami to become president of Cincinnati College, where he also served as a distinguished teacher and lecturer. He left Cincinnati in 1839 to become the 4th president of
Ohio UniversityOhio University is a public university located in Athens, Ohio that is situated on an 1,800 acre campus...
, which he left in 1843 to become president of
Woodward CollegeWoodward High School is a public high school located in the Bond Hill neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio. It is part of the Cincinnati Public School District.-History:...
(really a secondary school) in Cincinnati.
In 1845, McGuffey moved to
Charlottesville, VirginiaCharlottesville is an independent city geographically located in Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom....
where he became Professor of Philosophy at the
University of VirginiaThe University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
. A year after his first wife Harriet died in 1850, he married Miss Laura Howard, daughter of Dean Howard of the University of Virginia, in 1851. McGuffey is buried in the university burial ground, in
Charlottesville, VirginiaCharlottesville is an independent city geographically located in Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom....
. The School of Education at
Miami UniversityMiami University is a coeducational public university located in the college town of Oxford, Ohio. The university was founded in 1809 and is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and second oldest in the U.S. state of Ohio. Miami is cited as one of the eight original Public...
is housed in McGuffey Hall which is named for him and
his home in OxfordWilliam H. McGuffey House, also known as the William Holmes McGuffey Museum, is a National Historic Landmark house museum on the campus of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio...
is a
National Historic LandmarkA National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance. All NHLs are listed in the National Register of Historic Places...
offering tours on weekdays.
Legacy
McGuffey is credited with the following quotation:
- "The christian religion, is the religion of our country. From it are derived our prevalent notions of the character of God, the great moral governor of the universe. On its doctrines are founded the peculiarities of our free institutions."
The
McGuffey School DistrictMcGuffey School District is a public school system located in Washington County, Pennsylvania.- School District :The School District is composed of four schools:*McGuffey High School*McGuffey Middle School*Claysville Elementary*Joe Walker Elementary....
in Washington County, Pennsylvania is named for William Holmes McGuffey. The industrialist
Henry FordHenry Ford was the American founder of the Ford Motor Company and father of modern assembly lines used in mass production. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry. He was a prolific inventor and was awarded 161 U.S. patents...
cited
McGuffey Readers as one of his most important childhood influences. In 1934 he had the log cabin where McGuffey was born moved to Greenfield Village, Ford's museum of
AmericanaAmericana refers to artifacts, or a collection of artifacts, related to the history, geography, folklore and cultural heritage of the United States. Many kinds of material fall within the definition of Americana: paintings, prints and drawings; license plates or entire vehicles, household objects,...
at
Dearborn, MichiganDearborn is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located in the Detroit metropolitan area and Wayne County, and is the tenth largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, it had a population of 97,775. The city is the hometown of Henry Ford and the world headquarters...
.
External links