Historical records matching Rev. Henry 'Whit' Mitchell Whitney
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About Rev. Henry 'Whit' Mitchell Whitney
Rev. Henry 'Whit' Mitchell Whitney
- Find A Grave Memorial ID # 41417203
- Henry Mitchell Whitney papers at Beloit College
- U.S. California Boundary Field Books
- Henry Mitchell Whitney, Whitney Genealogy
Rev. Henry Mitchell Whitney, M.A., professor of Rhetoric and English Literature, was born in Northampton, Massachusetts; graduated at Williston Seminary in Easthampton, Massachusetts, in 1859; entered Yale College in 1859, but left at the close of junior year to enlist as a private in Company C, Fifty-second Massachusetts Infantry.
Shortly after his enlistment he was promoted to Sergeant Major. His regiment was assigned to the department of the Gulf in the famous Banks Expedition. When his regiment was mustered out in 1863, by reason of the expiration of their term of enlistment, Professor Whitney was offered a commission in another regiment, but was so exhausted by hard service, having been on continuous duty, that he was compelled to decline the appointment. He spent the next year in recovering his health and completing his college course. Served as an officer of the U.S. Christian Commission from Jun 1864, to the close of the war, the latter part as paymaster for all the Commission work in the armies operating against Richmond. Was among the first to enter Richmond and occupied the official chair of the Confederacy, shortly after it was vacated by Jefferson Davis.
From 1865-1868 he was engaged in theological studies at Princeton, New Jersey, and Andover, Massachusetts. Shortly afterward he accepted the pastorate of the Congregational Church at Geneva, Illinois, where he remained until he came to Beloit in April of 1871.
Professor Whitney is a man of large acquaintance with English literature and gives careful training to all the young men in rhetoric. The British Association for the Advancement of Science elected him an honorary member when he was abroad in 1881. He is a frequent contributor to magazines and newspapers, and is noted as an orator on educational, religious, and patriotic themes.
From 1883-1891 his leisure time was mostly given to work as associate editor of The Century Dictionary: a "Dictionary of Synonyms and of Synonyms Discriminated," written by him, was incorporated into that work. Professor Whitney was a half-brother of the late Professor William Dwight Whitney of Yale University, and of Professor Josiah Dwight Whitney of Harvard University; he resided Beloit, Wisconsin.
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Henry Mitchell Whitney, "Whit" for short, was professor of Rhetoric and English Literature from 1871-1899 at Beloit College. He came from a distinguished family. At the age 16 he entered Yale, but then left to join the Union army where he became a Sergeant Major. After his time in the Army he returned to Yale where he graduated in 1864; he then attended Princeton University and Andover theological seminary.
Finally, in 1871 he came to teach at Beloit College. While in Beloit he became a co-founder of the Beloit Savings Bank in 1881. He also had an unsuccessful bid for mayor in 1885, running on a pro-liquor platform.
Whitney was somewhat liberal for his time -- he believed in the acceptance of different Christian denominations, even though this was an unpopular stance with others at the college. His particular sense of humor was not always appreciated either. On different occasions he was ridiculed for inappropriate behavior even though his intentions were jovial.
He became known to students through his undisciplined teaching style, and received criticism for repeating classes verbatim year after year. However, he was interested in student activities. He supported the building of a gymnasium and always took interest in student events.
Throughout his career at Beloit he wrote several short histories of the college and numerous other articles. When he retired in 1899, he moved back to Connecticut to become the librarian for the James Blackstone Memorial Librarian.
He died of heart failure on March 26th, 1911 at the home of his sister-in-law Elizabeth Wooster Whitney (Baldwin).
NOTE: Elizabeth Wooster Whitney (Baldwin) was the widow of Yale Professor of Linguistics, William Dwight Whitney; the sister of Connecticut Governor & Chief Justice Simeon Eben Baldwin; the daughter of U.S. Senator & Connecticut Governor Roger Sherman Baldwin; the granddaughter of U.S. Representative Simeon Baldwin; and the great-granddaughter of American founding father Roger Sherman of Connecticut.
Publications & Works
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Rev. Henry 'Whit' Mitchell Whitney's Timeline
| 1843 |
January 16, 1843
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Northampton, Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States
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| 1870 |
June 20, 1870
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Geneva, Kane County, Illinois, United States
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| 1872 |
1872
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| 1874 |
1874
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| 1876 |
November 21, 1876
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Beloit, Rock County, Wisconsin, United States
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| 1878 |
November 11, 1878
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Beloit, Rock County, Wisconsin, United States
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| 1881 |
April 21, 1881
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Beloit, Rock County, Wisconsin, United States
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| 1883 |
1883
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| 1911 |
March 26, 1911
Age 68
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New Haven, New Haven County, Connecticut, United States
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