James Lyman Whitney

James Lyman Whitney

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Whitney was the son of Josiah Dwight Whitney, a merchant and one of the founders of the Northampton (Massachusetts) National Bank, by his second wife, Clarissa (James) Whitney, was born in Northampton, November 28, 1835.

In his boyhood he began to live among books, drawing inspiration from the choice library of his elder brother, Josiah. On entering college he did volunteer library work, and in his Senior year was Librarian of the Brothers in Unity.

After graduation he continued his studies at Yale a few months as Berkeley Scholar, but not wishing to be a burden to his father in that time of financial depression, he gave up his studies and entered the book publishing house of Wiley & Halsted in New York City. The next year he was a clerk for Bridgman & Co., booksellers in Springfield, Mass, but soon became a partner in the firm then known for about ten years as Bridgman & Whitney. In 1868 he withdrew his active connection, but in company with W.F. Adams under the name of Whitney & Adams continued an interest in the book business in Springfield nearly twenty years longer.

After spending several months in travel, he was at home with his father until the latter's death in 1869 and was then for a few months Assistant Librarian of the Cincinnati Public Library. In November of that year, he entered the Boston Public Library as assistant, and in 1874 was made principal assistant, having special charge of the catalogue department. He developed the card catalogue of which he, with William A. Wheeler (BA Bowdoin 1853), laid the foundation in 1871, edited the Public Library Bulletins from 1870 including numerous most useful special catalogues, and "A Catalogue of the Bibliographies of Special Subjects in the Boston Public Library." He edited the "Handbook for Readers," "A Modern Proteus, or, A List of Books Published under more than one Title;" "The Ticknor Catalogue of Spanish Literature, together with the collection of Spanish and Portuguese Literature in the General Library," which with its many scholarly notes is regarded as his chief work, and is in high repute among scholars, "A Catalogue of the Library of J Montgomery Sears (BA Yale 1877), including the Poetical Library of Ferdinand Freilgrath," and "Considerations as to a Printed Catalogue in Book Form for the Boston Public Library.'

In 1899 Whitney was appointed Librarian, succeeding Herbert Putnam (LL D Yale 1907), but after a time he found his health unequal to the administrative burdens, and in February, 1903, he retired from that office, to become Chief of Documents and Statistics. In this position he found congenial work in the study and arrangement of the manuscripts of the library. In November, 1909, at a reception given him in honor of his forty years of service in the library.

During the early years of his work in Boston, Mr. Whitney lived in Concord, Mass. He was chairman of the School Board of that town from 1879-1887 and was also secretary of the committee of the Concord Free Library for eight years, but for about twenty years his home had been in Cambridge.

He died of paralysis after a two days' illness at his home September 25, 1910, in his 75th year. He never married and had lived with an older sister, Miss Maria Whitney, until her death some months before. He was the last, but one of five brothers connected with Yale, the others being Professor Josiah Dwight Whitney (BA Yale 1839), Professor William Dwight Whitney (BA Williams 1845, Hon MA Yale 1867), Dr. Edward Payson Whitney (BA Yale 1854), and Professor Henry Mitchell Whitney (BA Yale 1864), whose death occurred March 26, 1911.

He long served as chairman of the book committee of the Bostonian Society, was chairman of the committee on finance and a charter member of the American Library Association, and in 1897 was a delegate of the Association to the International Convention of the American and British Associations in London. He was also a member of the Club of Odd Volumes of Boston, and the Bibliographical Society of America.

By his will, Mr. Whitney gave part of his estate to the University to be used for the University Library

1850 United States census
1855 Massachusetts state census
Death