1833-1917; bulk: 1855-1909
Guide to the Collection
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| Creator: | Everett, William,
1839-1910 |
| Title: | William Everett papers |
| Dates: | 1833-1917 |
| Bulk Dates: | 1855-1909 |
| Physical Description: | 10
document boxes, 1 narrow box |
| Call Number: | Ms. N-1202 |
| Repository: | Massachusetts Historical Society
1154 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02215
library@masshist.org |
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Abstract:
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This collection consists of the papers of teacher,
orator, and Massachusetts congressman William Everett, and includes personal,
political, and family correspondence; writings; and printed
material.
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Born on 10 October 1839 in Watertown, Mass., William Everett was the
youngest of six children of Mass. governor Edward Everett (1794-1865) and
Charlotte Gray Brooks Everett. He graduated from Harvard University in 1859 and
from Trinity College, Cambridge, England in 1863. In 1865 he graduated from
Harvard University's law school and was admitted to the bar in 1866. In 1872 he
was licensed to preach by the Suffolk Association of Unitarian Ministers. He
tutored at Harvard from 1870 to 1873 when he became an assistant professor of
Latin. He became the master of Adams Academy in Quincy in 1878.
Everett became active in politics in 1882 with civil service and tariff
reforms. In 1893 he left Adams Academy when he was elected to fill Henry Cabot
Lodge's position as a Democrat representing Massachusetts' 7th District in the
53rd United States Congress, a position he held until 3 March 1895. Following
in his father's footsteps, he ran for governor of Massachusetts in 1897 but he
lost the election to incumbent Roger Wolcott. Everett returned to Quincy and
resumed his post as master of Adams Academy in 1897, remaining there until his
death on 16 February 1910. He was interred with his parents in Mount Auburn
Cemetery in Cambridge, Mass.
This collection consists of the papers of teacher, orator, and Massachusetts
congressman William Everett, including family, personal, and professional
correspondence; professional papers; writings; and printed material. The
collection includes personal correspondence related to Everett's studies at
Harvard University and Trinity College; his travels in Europe; and his work as
a teacher, historian, and orator. It includes a number of letters of condolence
on the death of his father Edward Everett in 1865. The collection does not
contain any personal letters between Everett and his father. Many of the papers
in this collection are political correspondence, referring to speeches Everett
gave and his political opinions on a variety of subjects. Also included are
over thirty essays or reports written or copied by Everett while in school;
clippings concerning his writings; school journals including a Greek exercise
book; and a volume of handwritten lectures entitled, "Talks on Colonial
History" by Everett.
Of particular significance is a series of typescripts of correspondence
concerning Edward Everett's speech at Gettysburg at the dedication of the
Soldiers' National Cemetery. Copies of letters from Edward Everett to President
Abraham Lincoln and others regarding a manuscript of Everett's speech
containing notes by President Lincoln, as well as his impressions of the day,
are the focus of the series.
The Massachusetts Historical Society (MHS) holds the following collections
related to the William Everett Papers:
Edward Everett Papers,
1675-1910. Ms. N-1201. Finding aid available at:
http://www.masshist.org/findingaids/doc.cfm?fa=fa0264.
Gift of Charlotte Everett Hopkins, 1914-1933. Essays were a gift of
Grenville H. Norcross, 1918. "Talks on Colonial History" was a gift of Henry P.
Binney, 1945.
The collection is organized into the following series:
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| I. Correspondence, 1844-1910 |
| | A. Family correspondence, 1844-1909 |
| | B. Personal correspondence, 1847-1910 |
| | C. Professional correspondence, 1853-1910 |
| II. Certificates and appointments, 1858-1907 |
| III. Writings, 1833-1909 |
| IV. Gettysburg correspondence, 1864-1909 |
| V. Printed material, 1864-1917 |
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| Box | Folder | Contents |
| | I. Correspondence,
1844-1910 |
| Box 1 | Folders 1-10 | | A. Family correspondence,
1844-1909
Arranged chronologically.This subseries consists primarily of letters to William Everett from his
older sister Charlotte "Charlie" Brooks Everett Wise (1825-1879). It describes
her travels, family life, and friends. There are also letters written by
Everett to his niece, Charlie's daughter, Charlotte "Lotie" Everett Wise
Hopkins on family and everyday life.
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| | | B. Personal correspondence,
1847-1910
Arranged chronologically.This subseries contains letters to Everett from friends about life at
Harvard, Cambridge, and Trinity College, as well as daily life and travel.
Letters written during the Civil War include mentions of his father's 1863
Gettysburg speech and mutual friends who joined the Army or Navy. A large
number of letters in 1865 are condolences on the death of his father on 16
January 1865. The majority of letters were written by Alexander McKenzie, James
Fay, Clement Fay, Henry Jackson, John H. Ricketson, Arthur Sidgwick, Edwin
Seaver, Frank E. Abbot, and Frank E. Anderson. Also included in this series are
letters written to Everett regarding his research over the years into his
family's genealogy and history.
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| Box 1 | Folders 11-45 | | | 1847-1889 |
| Box 2 | | | | 1890-1910 |
| | | C. Professional correspondence,
1853-1910
Arranged chronologically.This subseries consists of letters written to Everett regarding his work at
Adams Academy and Harvard University as a Latin teacher; his sermons; his
involvement with the Harvard alumni association; and politics. The majority of
letters involve requests for Everett to give lectures or sermons; thanks for
lectures and sermons delivered; requests for articles by publishers; letters
regarding his views on Latin translations, teaching, religion, and history; and
letters regarding his students. Political correspondence mainly dates from
1882-1897 and includes letters regarding civil service reform; tariff reform;
congratulations on his congressional nomination; and political support.
Correspondents include Arthur Foote, Rufus Ellis, Charles W. Eliot, M. H.
Morgan, Winslow Warren, and Josiah P. Cooke.
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| Box 3 | | | | 1853-1885 |
| Box 4 | | | | 1886-1891 |
| Box 5 | | | | 1892-1896 |
| Box 6 | | | | 1897-1901 |
| Box 7 | | | | 1902-1906 |
| Box 8 | Folders 1-44 | | | 1907-1910 |
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| Box 8 | Folders 45-47 | II. Certificates and appointments,
1858-1907
Arranged chronologically.This series contains certificates of commendation; an 1875 certificate
appointing Everett as a justice of the peace; and Everett's 1868 Harvard
University law degree. The majority are certificates recognizing donations of
books to libraries including the Boston Public Library, the Massachusetts
Historical Society, and Harvard College. Two certificates from 1864 recognizing
Everett's donation of books to the library of the Union Club are signed by his
father Edward Everett as the president of the organization.
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| | III. Writings,
1833-1909
Arranged chronologically.This series contains over thirty bound books, journals and essays from
Everett's school days, handwritten essays on Latin, Italian and Greek poetry,
and English poets from Everett's university days, and drafts of speeches.
Several of the earliest bound books are copies of writings dated before
Everett's birth, the dates when Everett copied them are not always known. There
are three undated volumes of "Walks to and from Church;" an undated Greek
exercise book from Cambridge; and six undated volumes of "Everett's Journal of
Science and Art" from Everett's university days. There is also an undated,
handwritten, bound volume of lectures entitled "Talks on Colonial History"
written by William Everett.
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| Box 9 | | | 1833-1892 |
| Box 10 | | | 1893-1909 |
| Box 11 | Folders 1-7 | | Undated |
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| Box 11 | Folder 8 | IV. Gettysburg correspondence,
1864-1909
Arranged chronologically.This series of letters contains copies of letters made by Everett and sent
to his niece, Charlotte Everett Hopkins. They consist of letters written by
Edward Everett to President Lincoln about sending Lincoln a bound manuscript of
Everett's Gettysburg speech that included remarks made by Lincoln and other
material connected to the Gettysburg ceremony. Other correspondence includes a
letter from Lincoln's private secretary John Nicolay regarding the manuscript;
and letters from Edward Everett to Julia Fish about sending her a copy of the
manuscript. Additional letters are from Henry S. Burrage to William Everett in
1905 requesting information on William and Edward's impressions of the day at
Gettysburg, of Lincoln and their thoughts on his speech, as well as where
Edward Everett's manuscript could be found; and a 1909 letter from William
Everett to Charlotte Hopkins briefly describing the experience the family had
meeting Lincoln at Gettysburg.
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| Box 11 | Folders 9-10 | V. Printed material,
1864-1917
Arranged chronologically.The bulk of this series are memorials and obituaries of William Everett.
There is also a newspaper clipping about the 100th and 123rd anniversaries of
Edward Everett's birth, and a copy of the poem "Our Returned Conquerors,"
written by Everett and read at the 25 June 1885 Phi Beta Kappa dinner at
Harvard.
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William Everett papers, Massachusetts Historical Society.
This collection is indexed under the following headings in
ABIGAIL,
the online catalog of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Researchers
desiring materials about related persons, organizations, or subjects should
search the catalog using these headings.
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| Persons: |
| | Everett, Edward, 1794-1865. |
| | Everett family. |
| | Wise, Charlotte Everett, 1825-1879. |
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| Organizations: |
| | Adams Academy (Quincy, Mass). |
| | Harvard University-- Faculty. |
| | Harvard University-- Students. |
| | Trinity College (University of
Cambridge)--Students. |
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| Subjects: |
| | Historians--Massachusetts. |
| | Legislators--Massachusetts. |
| | Orators--Massachusetts. |
| | Soldiers' National Cemetery (Gettysburg,
Pa.) |
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