John Bascom

He was born on May 1, 1827, in Genoa, New York, and was a graduate of Williams College with the class of 1849. He graduated from the Andover Theological Seminary in 1855.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} Aside from the degrees he received in those places, he held many other scholarly and honorary degrees. He was professor of rhetoric at Williams College from 1855 to 1874, and was president of the University of Wisconsin from 1874 to 1887. He retired in 1903{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} and died in Williamstown, Massachusetts, on October 2, 1911.{{cite web | url=http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/dictionary/index.asp?action=view&term_id=2117&keyword=bascom | title=Bascom, John 1827 - 1911 | work=Dictionary of Wisconsin History | accessdate=January 17, 2012 | archive-date=March 3, 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303185716/http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/dictionary/index.asp?action=view&term_id=2117&keyword=bascom | url-status=dead }}{{cite web|url=http://archives.library.wisc.edu/chancellors/chancellors.htm |title=Presidents and Chancellors of the University of Wisconsin–Madison |publisher=University of Wisconsin |accessdate=January 17, 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090204002030/http://archives.library.wisc.edu/chancellors/chancellors.htm |archivedate=February 4, 2009 }}

Authoring between thirty to forty books over his lifetime, Bascom later claimed that their writing cost him more than they earned in sales revenue. However, his biography expressed pride at their impact on others, and his works heavily influenced Senator Robert M. La Follette, Sr. during the latter's studies at the University of Wisconsin.{{Cite book |last=Unger |first=Nancy C. |title=Fighting Bob La Follette: The Righteous Reformer |date=2000 |publisher=Wisconsin Historical Society Press |isbn=9780870204265 |pages=35-37}}

In 1853, John married Abbie Burt, who died shortly thereafter. John then wed Emma Curtiss, to whom he was married for over fifty years. Their three children, Jean, George and Florence, all graduated from the University of Wisconsin.{{cite book |title= Biographical history of Massachusetts: biographies and autobiographies of the leading men in the state, Volume 1. |last=Eliot |first=Samuel Atkins |year=1911 |publisher=Massachusetts Biographical Society |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1S0EAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA1861}}

Bascom Hill and Bascom Hall on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison are both named in his honor. Bascom House at Williams College is also named after Bascom.{{cite web|title=Bascom House |url=http://facilities.williams.edu/properties/bascom-house/ |publisher=Williams College Facilities |accessdate=4 September 2012 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116042958/http://facilities.williams.edu/properties/bascom-house/ |archivedate= 16 January 2014 |url-status=dead }} During World War II the Liberty ship {{SS|John Bascom}} was built in Panama City, Florida, and named in his honor.{{cite book

|last=Williams

|first=Greg H.

|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=A5oWBAAAQBAJ

|title= The Liberty Ships of World War II: A Record of the 2,710 Vessels and Their Builders, Operators and Namesakes, with a History of the Jeremiah O'Brien

|date= 25 July 2014

|publisher= McFarland

|isbn= 978-1476617541

|accessdate= 7 December 2017

}}

• List of French Americans, famous people of French descent

{{unreferenced section|date=July 2016}}

• Earl W. Bascom, cowboy artist/sculptor, rodeo pioneer, "Father of Modern Rodeo"
• Florence Bascom, America's first female geologist
• George Nicholas Bascom, army officer of Apache Wars
• Henry Bidleman Bascom, Congressional Chaplain 1824-26
• John U. Bascom, American surgeon
• Willard Bascom, oceanographer
• Bryant Butler Brooks, cowboy, rancher and Governor of Wyoming 1905-1911
• Frederic S. Remington, western artist and sculptor, "Father of Cowboy Sculpture"
• Jedediah S. Smith, American explorer, mountain man
• Franchot Tone, American actor
• Wolfe Tone, "Father of Irish Republicanism"
• S. Dilworth Young, American religious leader

Many of these are in the public domain and fully viewable at Google Books.

• An Appeal To Young Men On The Use Of Tobacco (1850)
• Philosophy Of Rhetoric (1866)
• The Principles Of Psychology (1869)
• Aesthetics (1871)
• Science, Philosophy And Religion (1871); [https://openlibrary.org/books/OL24404341M/Science_philosophy_and_religion (1872)]
• Philosophy Of English Literature (1874)
• Education And The State (1877)
• Comparative Psychology (1878)
• Ethics (1879)
• Natural Theology (1880)
• The Science Of Mind (1881)
• The Lawyer And The Lawyer's Questions (1882)
• Problems In Philosophy (1885)
• Prohibition And Common Sense (1885)
• Sociology (1887)
• The New Theology (1891)
• Address Before The YMCA Of The Mass. Agricultural College (1892)
• An Historical Interpretation Of Philosophy (1893)
• Social Theory (1895)
• Evolution And Religion (1897)
• The Goodness Of God (1901)
• The Remedies Of Trusts (1901)
• The College Tax Exemption (1907)
• [http://www.library.wisc.edu/etext/WIReader/WER0748.html Things Learned By Living] (1913)
• Sermons And Addresses (1913)

{{Reflist}}

;Attribution

{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Bascom, John}}

• Hoeveler, J. David. John Bascom and the Origins of the Wisconsin Idea. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 2016.

{{wikiquote}}

• [http://www.wisc.edu/ John A. Bascom (President: 1874-1887)] at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
• {{Find a Grave|106980907}}

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{{succession box | title=President of the University of Wisconsin | before= John H. Twombly | after = Thomas Chamberlin | years=1874-1887}}

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{{University of Wisconsin–Madison leaders}}

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Category:1827 births

Category:1911 deaths

Category:People from Genoa, New York

Category:Leaders of the University of Wisconsin-Madison

Category:Andover Theological Seminary alumni

Category:Williams College alumni

Category:Williams College faculty

Category:Writers from New York (state)

Category:Writers from Wisconsin