Wilfred Harold Munro

Wilfred Harold Munro

Birth: August 20, 1849 Bristol, Rhode Island

Death: Aug. 9, 1934, Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island

Father: John Bennett Munro, b. Sept. 20, 1820, Bristol, R.I. ; d. 1881

Mother: Abby Howland Batt, b. Jan. 10, 1824, Bristol , R.I. ; d. 1916

Wife: Susan Wilkinson Goodwin, b. 1845; d. Mar. 9, 1929

Wilfred Harold Munro (1849-1934), professor of history, was born in Bristol, Rhode Island, on August 20, 1849. He attended Mowry and Goff's English and Classical School and graduated from Brown in 1870. He was captain of the Class of 1870 baseball team which defeated the New England champion Lowells of Boston, 22 to 19, in a game played on June 17, 1868. In later years the members of the team were accustomed to hold reunions at Professor Munro's home to reminisce about their triumph. A baseball feat of Munro's, fondly recounted by his brother, Walter Lee Munro 1879 in The Old Back Campus at Brown, took place on the ball field on what is now the Middle Campus, when Wilfred Munro hit a foul fly ball to right field and broke all eight panes of a window in University Hall.

After college, Munro taught at De Veaux College in Niagara Falls, was associate principal of St. Mark's School in Salt Lake City in 1871, spent some time in Central and South America, was principal of the Academic Institute in Le Roy, New York, from 1875 to 1879, and returned to De Veaux College as president from 1881 to 1889. He resumed his study of history at Freiburg and Heidelburg, Germany in 1890 and 1891, and in 1891 began his teaching career at Brown as associate professor of history. His title was changed to professor of European history in 1899. His course on European history after 1815 was popular with the students, who called him "Pop" Munro. He was appointed the first director of University Extension in 1890-91, and, as he was traveling in Europe at the time of his appointment, he was able to study methods used in England before he initiated the extension program, which he continued to direct until 1899. He retired from teaching in 1911. He wrote on both European and local history. He was the author of the inscription on the memorial in Plymouth which commemorates the Mayflower passengers who died during the first year in Plymouth. He published History of Bristol, Rhode Island in 1880, Picturesque Rhode Island in 1881, and another history of Bristol, Tales of an Old Seaport in 1917. He was editor of The Works of William H. Prescott, and of two editions of Memorial Encyclopedia of the State of Rhode Island. He died on August 9, 1934 in Providence. In his obituary notice in the Brown Alumni Monthly it was noted:

"Many alumni will recall with affection his elective course, "European History After 1815." It was a popular course, a little too popular to suit some of Professor Munro's colleagues. The lectures frequently failed to have anything to do with the wreck that was Europe after Napoleon went to St. Helena, but they were chatty, wise and informing. Professor Munro had been somewhere and had seen things. He liked to talk about his travels and his observations. He had an easy narrative style, which stirred interest and aroused longings. Anyone who failed in his course shouldn't have been in college, anyway."

"Professor Munro is a member of the Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, of which he served as governor, made eligible through Lieutenant Preserved Abell (1668-1724), Rehoboth. Massachusetts, who was sergeant in King Philiip's war, ensign in 1690, and lieutenant under Captain Samuel Gallup, in Phipps' expedition against Canada, 1690. He is a member of the Rhode Island Society of Mayllower Descendants, of which he was the first governor, made eligible through Richard Warren. James Chilton and William Brewster. He is also a member and past president of the Rhode Island Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, to which he was made eligible through the service of his great-grandfather, Edward Munro (above ), his great-grandfather. Preserved Abell (above), and also through the service of his great-grandfather, Thomas Waldron (above). He is a member and since 1906 president of the Rhode Island Historical Society; is a member and past president of the Rhode Island Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa fraternity ; of the Barnard Club and of the Churchmen's Club. He is also a member of the American Antiquarian Society ; the Wisconsin Historical Society ; the Minnesota Historical Society ; and the American Historical Association. In 1910 he was elected to the school committee of the city of Providence and is still serving as a member of that body."

New England Families, Genealogical and Memorial: A Record of the ..., Volume 1, edited by William Richard Cutter

Munro, Wilfred Harold
from The Columbia Encyclopedia

1849–1934, American historian and educator, b. Bristol, R.I.; brother of Dana Carleton Munro. From 1870 to 1871 he was a master at De Veaux College, Niagara Falls, N.Y., where he later (1881–89) served as president. After studying (1890–91) at the universities of Freiburg and Heidelberg, Munro became (1891) associate professor of history and director of university extension work at Brown. From 1899 until his retirement in 1911 he held the chair of European history there. In his lifetime Munro traveled widely. For many years president of the Rhode Island Historical Society, he was considered a foremost expert on Rhode Island history. His works include The History of Bristol, R.I. (1880), Tales of an Old Sea Port (1917), and Among the Mormons in the Days of Brigham Young (1927). He edited a 22-volume edition (1905–6, repr. 1968) of the works of W. H. Prescott.

The Columbia Encyclopedia, © Columbia University Press 2018

Burial:

Swan Point Cemetery, Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island

Section 355

Also known as: Rhode Island Historical Cemetery Providence #3

Sources:

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=93256340&ref=wvr

Delta Phi catalogue, 1827-1907, The Mason-Henry Press, 1907

New England Families, Genealogical and Memorial: A Record of the ..., Volume 1 edited by William Richard Cutter

http://www.rihistoriccemeteries.org/newgravedetails.aspx?ID=418030