Frederic Beecher Perkins: Difference between revisions

{{useUse dmy dates|date=NovemberJuly 20122021}}

| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1828|9|27|mf=y}}

| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1899|1|27|1828|9|27|mf=y}}

| children = Thomas Adie Perkins<br>[[Charlotte Perkins Gilman|Charlotte Perkins]]

'''Frederic Beecher Perkins''' (27 September 1828, [[Hartford, Connecticut]] -– 27 January 1899, [[Morristown, New Jersey]]) was an American editor, writer, and librarian. He was a member of the [[Beecher family]], a prominent 19th-century American religious family.

==Early Lifelife==

FrederickFrederic Beecher Perkins was born in [[Hartford, Connecticut]], to Mary (Beecher) Perkins and [[Thomas Clap Perkins]]. He iswas the grandson of [[Lyman Beecher]], Aa [[Presbyterian]] minister best known as a revivalist and social reformer.<ref>{{Cite Appletons'|title=Perkins, Frederic Beecher|year=1888}}</ref> He iswas also the father of [[Charlotte Perkins Gilman]], a prominent American feminist, sociologist, novelist, and a lecturer foron social reform. Perkins entered [[Yale University]] in 1846 and though he left two years later before he finished his degree, Yale awarded him a master[[Master of artsArts]] degree in 1860.<ref name=dab>{{Cite DAB |last=Utley |first=George B. |title=Perkins, Frederic Beecher|year=1934}}</ref> In 1848, he would workworked in his father’s law office, and by 1851, Perkins was admitted to the Connecticut Bar. In 1852, Perkins graduated as a librarian from Connecticut Normal School,<ref>Kessler, Carol Farley, Ann J. Lane, and Sheryl L. Meyerling. "''To" "Herland" and Beyond: The Life and Works of Charlotte Perkins Gilman."'' (1990): 158-161.</ref> now [[Central Connecticut State University]], and became a teacher for a short time in [[Greenwich, Connecticut]].<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://mssa.library.yale.edu/obituary_record/1859_1924/1898-99.pdf|title = Yale Obituary Record|date = |accessdate = |website = |publisher = |last = |first = }}</ref> He held various posts in Hartford until 1854, in which year he went to [[New York City]], remaining until 1857. Then, returning to Hartford, he became assistant editor of [[Henry Barnard]]'s ''American Journal of Education'' for three years.

HeIn 1857, Frederic was married to Mary Fitch Wescott, and together they had two children, Thomas Adie in 1859 and Charlotte in 1860. They had only two children because afterAfter Charlotte's birth, a physician advised Perkins that his wife's life would be in danger if she were to bear any more children. Soon, WhilePerkins Charlottewould wasleave stillhis family, where they remained in infancyan impoverished state.<ref>Hill, Mary A. ''Charlotte Perkins movedGilman: outThe Making of a Radical Feminist, 1860-1896'' (Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1980)</ref> Charlotte would go on and abandoneddescribed hisher wifefather as a "stranger" and children,states leavingthat themhe inwas an"distant impoverishedand statelittle known". Though Perkins had abandoned his family, Charlotte wouldnoted growgratitude uptowards her father, recognizing that "...by heredity I owe him much; the Beecher urge to besocial aservice, notablethe authorBeecher wit and feministgift of words and such small sense of art as I have." Charlotte Heralso father'sreflected lovethat forhe literature"took influencedto herbooks as a duck to water. He read them, he wrote them, he edited them, he criticized them, he became a librarian and yearsclassified them. laterBefore he contactedmarried herhe withknew nine languages and continued to learn more afterward…In those days, when scholarship could still cover a listlarge portion of the world’s good books, he feltcovered wouldthem bewell."<ref>Gilman, worthwhileCharlotte forPerkins. her''The toLiving readof Charlotte Perkins Gilman: An Autobiography''. Univ of Wisconsin Press, 1935.</ref>

As a librarian, he worked at the [[Connecticut Historical Society]] from 1857 to 1861. In 1870, Perkins moved to [[Boston]] and began to work with his brother-in-law, [[Edward Everett Hale]], as an editor for the magazine ""''Old and New""''. In May of 1874 Perkins was hired as office secretary at the [[Boston Public Library]] (BPL).<ref>See Boston Public Library, ''Boston Public Library Superintendent’sSuperintendent's Monthly Report 1873-1878'', May 1874, No. 47.</ref> For a short time in 1879, Perkins became Assistant Librarian and Special Cataloger before resigning by December of 1879.<ref>Boston Public Library, 96.</ref> While at the BPL, Perkins worked closely with [[Justin Winsor]], contributing five articles to the 1876 report on public libraries. This would be a major influence in the field of [[library science]] and has been called the “magnum"magnum opus of library economy.”"<ref>Miksa, Francis, “The"The Making of the 1876 Special Report on Public Libraries",” ''Journal of Library History, Philosophy, and Comparative Librarianship'' 8, no. 1 (1973): 30.</ref> Perkins served as an editor for the ''[[Library Journal]]'' and the [[American Library Association]] Catalog, and was a founding member of the ALA's Cooperation Committee. After leaving the BPL, Perkins worked with [[Melvil Dewey]] at the Reader's and Writer's Economy Company. In 1880, he was appointed as head librarian of the [[San Francisco Public Library]], where he served till 1887.<ref>Murray, M. D. (2009). "Frederick Beecher Perkins: Library Pioneer and Curmudgeon". Available from [https://search.proquest.com/docview/205448557 ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global]. Retrieved 20 April 2017</ref>

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[[Category:AmericanLibrarians librariansof the Boston Public Library]]