Charles W. Eliot, President of Harvard University, 1869-1909

3170. Charles W. Eliot / President of Harvard University 1869-1909 / Volume One, by Henry James (read March 9, 1999) This and volume two won the Pulitzer prize for bio in 1931. The author is the nephew of THE Henry James. The book is quite laudatory and written rather old-stylely. He, Eliot, had a large birthmark on his face, and some forward-looking ideas on education. He hated Catholicism, and all in all I don't much care for him. Volume I ends in the 1880s.

3171 I finished Volume 2 of the foregoing on March 10, 1999. I enjoyed this volume more than the first. Eliot was "for" segregation and Prohibition, and the author did not (in 1930) see any need to apologize for such politically incorrect views. But Eliot had a lot of good ideas, show more and was a prime reason for Harvard's pre-eminence. show less