McGuffey, William Holmes

McGuffey, William Holmes
born Sept. 23, 1800, Pennsylvania, U.S.
died May 4, 1873, Charlottesville, Va.

U.S. educator remembered chiefly for his series of elementary readers.

McGuffey taught in the Ohio frontier schools and then at Miami University (1826–36). His elementary school series, starting with The Eclectic First Reader, was published between 1836 and 1857. Collections of didactic tales, aphorisms, and excerpts from great books, the readers reflect McGuffey's view that the proper education of young people required their introduction to a wide variety of topics and practical matters. They became standard texts in nearly all states for the next 50 years and sold more than 125 million copies. In these years McGuffey also served as president of Cincinnati College (1836–39) and of Ohio University, Athens (1839–43). He was a founder of the common school system of Ohio. In 1845 he was elected to the chair of mental and moral philosophy at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, a position he held until his death.

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▪ American educator
born Sept. 23, 1800, Washington county, Pennsylvania, U.S.
died May 4, 1873, Charlottesville, Va.
 U.S. educator who is remembered chiefly for his series of elementary school reading books popularly known as the McGuffey Readers.

      With little formal education, McGuffey mastered the school arts and began teaching in the Ohio frontier schools at the age of 14. While teaching, he continued his own education intermittently—under private tutors, at Greersburg Academy, and as a student of philosophy and language at Washington (Pennsylvania) College. During his 10 years (from 1826) on the faculty of Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, McGuffey took great interest in public education and assisted the teachers of the local elementary schools. In his own home he established a model school for neighbourhood children.

      In 1835 he contracted with the Cincinnati publishers Truman and Smith to compile a primer (a schoolbook offering basic lessons in many subjects), a spelling book, and four school readers—the first and second of which were published in 1836 and the third and fourth in 1837. A fifth appeared in 1844, and a sixth reader was added in 1879. The spelling book was published in 1846 by McGuffey's brother Alexander Hamilton McGuffey. The readers were graded collections of didactic tales and excerpts from great books, reflecting McGuffey's view that the proper education of young people required their introduction to a wide variety of topics and practical matters. They became standard texts in nearly all states, eclipsing all rival textbooks for half a century and reaching by 1925 a reputed total sale of more than 122 million copies.

      McGuffey served as president of Cincinnati College (1836–39) and of Ohio University, Athens (1839–43). He was a founder of the common school system of Ohio. In 1845 he was elected to the chair of mental and moral philosophy at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, a position he held until his death.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • McGuffey,William Holmes — Mc·Guf·fey (mə gŭfʹē), William Holmes. 1800 1873. American educator who compiled the McGuffey Eclectic Readers (1836 1857), schoolbooks that combined reading lessons with moralistic teachings. * * * …   Universalium

  • McGuffey, William Holmes — (23 sep. 1800, cerca de Claysville, Pa., EE.UU.–4 may. 1873, Charlottesville, Va.). Educador estadounidense recordado principalmente por sus series de libros de lectura de nivel elemental. McGuffey fue docente en las escuelas de frontera de Ohio… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • William Holmes McGuffey — (September 23, 1800 ndash; May 4, 1873) was an American professor and college president who is best known for writing the McGuffey Readers , one of the nation s first and most widely used series of textbooks. It is estimated that at least 120… …   Wikipedia

  • William Holmes McGuffey — noun United States educator who compiled the McGuffey Eclectic Readers (1800 1873) • Syn: ↑McGuffey • Instance Hypernyms: ↑educator, ↑pedagogue, ↑pedagog …   Useful english dictionary

  • Holmes — Holmes, Sherlock * * * (as used in expressions) Holmes, Larry Holmes, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Oliver Wendell, Jr. McGuffey, William Holmes …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • McGuffey Readers — Cover of McGuffey s First Reader McGuffey Readers were a series of graded primers that were widely used as textbooks in American schools from the mid 19th century to the mid 20th century, and are still used today in some private schools and in… …   Wikipedia

  • Holmes — /hohmz, hohlmz/, n. 1. John Haynes /haynz/, 1879 1964, U.S. clergyman. 2. Oliver Wendell /wen dl/, 1809 94, U.S. poet, novelist, essayist, and physician. 3. his son, Oliver Wendell, 1841 1935, U.S. jurist: associate justice of the U.S. Supreme… …   Universalium

  • William — /wil yeuhm/, n. 1. a word formerly used in communications to represent the letter W. 2. a male given name: from Germanic words meaning will and helmet. * * * (as used in expressions) Huddie William Ledbetter Aberhart William George William… …   Universalium

  • McGuffey — may refer to William Holmes McGuffey, an American writer The McGuffey Readers, written by William Holmes McGuffey McGuffey, Ohio, a town in the United States McGuffey School District, a school district in Western Pennsylvania, United States This… …   Wikipedia

  • McGuffey High School — Location 86 McGuffey Dr, Claysville, PA 15323 Coordinates: 40°08′29″N …   Wikipedia

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