Burgess, Edward Sandford, 1855-1928

The collection of manuscripts is named for Edward Sandford Burgess (1855-1928), the original owner and builder of the collection.

Edward Sandford Burgess, son of Chalon and Emma Burgess, was born in Little Valley, New York on Jan. 19, 1855. A graduate of Hamilton College in 1879, for the next 15 years Burgess taught botany, Latin and other subjects at several places including Johns Hopkins University and Martha's Vineyard Summer Institute. In 1895 he became chair of the Biological Sciences Dept. at Hunter College continuing until 1925. He served as acting president of Hunter in 1908. Burgess was the author of many works on botany and was an expert on the genus Aster. He died in New York City on Feb. 23, 1928.

Botanist; teacher. Born in Little Valley, N.Y., Jan. 19, 1855; died in New York City, Feb. 23, 1928. Graduate of Hamilton College (1879; M.A. 1882). Chaired Botany Dept., Central High School, Washington, D.C., 1882-1896. Instructor in Botany, Johns Hopkins, 1885. Professor of Botany, Martha's Vineyard Summer Institute, 1881-1895. Chaired Biological Sciences Dept., Hunter College, from 1895 (made Acting President in 1908). Attended Concord School of Philosophy (Concord, Mass.), 1881. Correspondent of Amy Lowell. Friend and correspondent of Edward Sherman Hoar of Concord (1823-1893; lawyer.

(Cont.) botanist, companion of Thoreau; visited with Burgess in Washington early in 1893).