Bailey, Jacob Whitman, 1811-1857

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Jacob Whitman Bailey (1811–1857) was an American naturalist, known as the pioneer in microscopic research in America.

Jacob Whitman Bailey was born in Auburn, Massachusetts on April 29, 1811, and in 1832 graduated at West Point, where, after 1834, he was successively assistant professor, acting professor, and professor of chemistry, mineralogy, and geology. At West Point he studied with John Torrey. He devised various improvements in the construction of the microscope and made an extensive collection of microscopic objects and of algæ, which he left to the Boston Society of Natural History. In 1857 he was president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, as well as a member of the National Institute for the Promotion of Science, a precursor to the Smithsonian Institution. He was elected an Associate Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAAS) in 1845. Bailey and his son William were survivors of the steamboat Henry Clay disaster on July 28, 1852, though his wife and daughter, both named Maria, were among the casualties.

Bailey died on February 26, 1857, at the beginning of his term of office as President of the AAAS. On August 19, 1857, Augustus Addison Gould delivered a speech to the AAAS in commemoration of Bailey's life. The speech was subsequently published in the American Journal of Science and Arts, volume xxv (second series), (New Haven, May 1858).

He wrote many articles on scientific subjects for the American Journal of Science and for scientific societies, a report on the infusorial fossils of California, and a valuable volume of Microscopical Sketches, containing 3000 original figures.

The genus Baileya, a North American genus of sun-loving wildflowers native to the deserts of northern Mexico and the Southwestern United States was named by botanists William Henry Harvey and Asa Gray in honor of their colleague Jacob Whitman Bailey.

It was Jacob Whitman Bailey that Lieut. Matthew Fontaine Maury wrote a letter to inquiring as to the material from the sea floor brought up with Lt. John Mercer Brook's deep-sea soundings and core samples. From that it was determined that the sea floor where the trans-Atlantic Cable was laid because the samples showed Lieut. M. F. Maury that his "Telegraphic Plateau" was perfect for the underwater cable. The samples Maury sent proved the "Telegraphic Plateau" samples were non-abrasive for such a cable to be laid.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Jacob Whitman Bailey letters, 1828-1882 New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
creatorOf Bailey, Jacob Whitman, 1811-1857. Bailey family papers. United States Military Academy, USMA Library
referencedIn Dix, Dorothea Lynde, 1802-1887. Papers, 1798-1893 (bulk 1827-1887) Houghton Library
referencedIn Gibbes, Lewis Reeves, 1810-1894. Papers, 1793-1894 (bulk 1838-1894) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
creatorOf Bailey, Jacob Whitman, 1811-1857. Pencil drawing of Bellona Arsenal [manuscript], [1833?] University of Virginia. Library
referencedIn Autograph File, C Houghton Library
referencedIn Dana family. Dana family papers, 1764-1967 (inclusive), 1805-1961 (bulk). Yale University Library
referencedIn Autograph File, M Houghton Library
creatorOf Jacob Whitman Bailey letters, 1828-1882. New York State Historical Documents Inventory
referencedIn Harvard University. Autograph File, G. 1641-2009. Houghton Library
creatorOf On some new species of American Desmidiaceae, from the Catskill Mountains, by J. W. Bailey, written in the hand of William Barwell Turner, ca.1891 GB 206 Leeds University Library
creatorOf Bailey, Jacob Whitman, 1811-1857. Letter to William M. Bailey [manuscript] 1833 July 3. University of Virginia. Library
referencedIn Dana family papers, 1805-1961 Yale University. Department of Manuscripts and Archives
referencedIn Autograph File, F, 1447-1994. Houghton Library
referencedIn J. N. Nicollet papers, 1797-1843. Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
referencedIn Autograph File, H Houghton Library
creatorOf Bailey, Jacob Whitman, 1811-1857. Family letters and papers, 1829-1882 / compiled by Alfred G. Bailey. United States Military Academy, USMA Library
creatorOf Bailey, Jacob Whitman, 1811-1857. Jacob Whitman letter, 1834, Sept. 23, from West Point, New York. Duke University, Medical Center Library & Archives
creatorOf Bailey, Jacob Whitman, 1811-1857. On some new species of American Desmidiaceae, from the Catskill Mountains, by J.W. Bailey, written in the hand of William Barwell Turner. Brotherton Library, University of Leeds
creatorOf Bailey, Jacob Whitman, 1811-1857. Letter to William Barton Rogers concerning recommendation of Prof. R.E.R. for Professor of Chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania [manuscript] 27 July 1852. University of Virginia. Library
creatorOf Bailey, Jacob Whitman, 1811-1857. Correspondence : Bailey and Torrey, 1836-1857. New York Botanical Garden, The LuEsther T. Mertz Library
referencedIn Dana family papers, 1805-1961 (bulk 1833-1894). Library of Congress
referencedIn J. N. Nicollet papers, 1797-1843. Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
referencedIn American Philosophical Society Library. Miscellaneous Manuscripts Collection. 1668-1983. American Philosophical Society
creatorOf Bailey, Jacob Whitman, 1811-1857. Papers, 1834-1857. American Periodical Series I
creatorOf Mitchell, John Kearsley, 1793-1858. Papers, 1827-1849. Duke University, Medical Center Library & Archives
referencedIn Gibbes, Lewis Reeves, 1810-1894. Papers, 1793-1894 (bulk 1838-1894) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
creatorOf Bailey, Jacob Whitman, 1811-1857. Jacob Whitman Bailey letter to Professor R.W. Gibbes, 1846. New York Public Library System, NYPL
creatorOf Bailey, Jacob W. Letters, 1850-1862. Wisconsin Historical Society, Newspaper Project
creatorOf Kemble, Gouverneur, 1786-1875. Papers. United States Military Academy, USMA Library
referencedIn Dana family. Dana family papers, 1764-1967 (inclusive), 1805-1961 (bulk). Yale University Library
creatorOf Jacob Whitman Bailey letter to Professor R.W. Gibbes, 1846 New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
creatorOf Bailey, Jacob Whitman, 1811-1857. Letter to Prof. William Barton Rogers [manuscript] 1841 April 25. University of Virginia. Library
referencedIn Stanley, David Sloane, 1828-1902. Memoirs, 1848-1852. United States Military Academy, USMA Library
referencedIn American Philosophical Society Archives. Record Group IId, 1837-1844 American Philosophical Society
creatorOf Bailey, Jacob Whitman, 1811-1857. Letter to William M. Bailey [manuscript] 1833 April 11. University of Virginia. Library
creatorOf Bailey, Jacob Whitman, 1811-1857. Letter, 1849, November 6, West Point, to Mrs. Sarah S. Cushing, Providence, Rhode Island. Brown University Archives, John Hay Library
creatorOf Bailey, Jacob Whitman, 1811-1857,. Letters from Jacob Whiteman Bailey (1811-57) to his mother, brother, and others written from West Point Military Academy [manuscript] 1832-1876. University of Virginia. Library
referencedIn Autograph File, S, 1556-1996. Houghton Library
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Agassiz, Louis, 1807-1873 person
memberOf American Academy of Arts and Sciences corporateBody
leaderOf American Association for the Advancement of Science corporateBody
associatedWith American Philosophical Society corporateBody
correspondedWith Bache, A. D. (Alexander Dallas), 1806-1867 person
associatedWith Bailey, Alfred Goldsworthy, 1905-1997 person
relativeOf Bailey, Kitty, d. 1852. person
parentOf Bailey, L. W. (Loring Woart), 1839-1925 person
spouseOf Bailey, Maria Slaughter, ca. 1810-1852 person
sibling of Bailey, William Mason, 1815-1897 person
relativeOf Bailey, William Whitman, 1843-1914. person
relativeOf Bailey, W. W. person
correspondedWith Baird, Spencer Fullerton, 1823-1887 person
associatedWith Banks, Joseph, 1743-1820 person
associatedWith Bartlett, W. H. C. (William Holms Chambers), 1804-1893 person
correspondedWith Beck, C. V. person
associatedWith Beck, Lewis C. (Lewis Caleb), 1798-1853 person
associatedWith Bellona Arsenal (Chesterfield County, Va.) corporateBody
correspondedWith Buhler, John R. person
associatedWith Chevalier, Nicholas person
associatedWith Cooper, Thomas, 1759-1839 person
associatedWith Coues, Elliott, 1842-1899 person
associatedWith Cullum, George W. (George Washington), 1809-1892. person
associatedWith Cushing, Sarah S. person
associatedWith Cuvier, Georges, Baron, 1769-1832 person
associatedWith Dana family. family
associatedWith Dana family. family
associatedWith Dana family. family
associatedWith Darlington, William, 1782-1863 person
correspondedWith Dix, Dorothea Lynde person
correspondedWith Dix, Dorothea Lynde, 1802-1887 person
correspondedWith Duley, Sarah G. person
associatedWith Edison, Thomas A., (Thomas Alva), 1847-1931 person
associatedWith Einstein, Albert, 1879-1955 person
correspondedWith Endlich, Frederic M. (Dr.) person
correspondedWith Evans, Alexander person
associatedWith Everett, Edward, 1794-1865 person
associatedWith Fitch, John person
correspondedWith Gale, Leonard D. person
associatedWith Gavit, D. E. person
associatedWith Genth, F. A., (Frederick Augustus), 1820-1893 person
correspondedWith Gibbes, Lewis R. person
correspondedWith Gibbes, Lewis Reeves, 1810-1894. person
associatedWith Gould, Augustus A. (Augustus Addison), 1805-1866. person
associatedWith Gray, Asa person
associatedWith Gray, Asa, 1810-1888 person
associatedWith Greeley, Horace, 1811-1872 person
associatedWith Harding, Warren G. person
correspondedWith Harvey, William Henry person
correspondedWith Henry, Joseph, 1797-1878 person
associatedWith Kemble, Gouverneur, 1786-1875. person
associatedWith Lee, Robert E. (Robert Edward), 1807-1870. person
associatedWith Leidy, Joseph person
associatedWith Locke, John person
correspondedWith Mclain, R. T. person
associatedWith Mitchell, John Kearsley, 1793-1858. person
memberOf National Institution for the Promotion of Science (U.S.) corporateBody
associatedWith Newcomb, Simon person
associatedWith Newton, Isaac, Sir, 1642-1727 person
correspondedWith Nicollet, J. N. (Joseph Nicolas), 1786-1843. person
associatedWith Poinsett, Joel Roberts, 1779-1851 person
associatedWith Rittenhouse, David, 1732-1796 person
correspondedWith Rogers, William Barton person
associatedWith Rogers, William Barton, 1804-1882, person
associatedWith Rush, Benjamin, 1746-1813 person
associatedWith Schoolcraft, Henry Rowe, 1793-1864 person
associatedWith Seybert, Adam, 1773-1825 person
correspondedWith Shute, James G. person
correspondedWith Slaughter, W. B. (William Bradner), 1822-1879. person
correspondedWith Smithsonian Institution corporateBody
associatedWith Sparks, Jared, 1789-1866 person
associatedWith Stanley, David Sloane, 1828-1902. person
associatedWith Stevens, Henry person
correspondedWith Stimpson, William person
associatedWith Sully, Thomas, 1783-1872 person
associatedWith Thomson, Charles, 1729-1824 person
correspondedWith Torrey, John, 1796-1873 person
associatedWith Turner, William Barwell, 1845-1917. person
associatedWith United States. Army. corporateBody
associatedWith United States Exploring Expedition (1838-1842) corporateBody
associatedWith United States Military Academy. corporateBody
alumnusOrAlumnaOf United States Military Academy (West Point, N.Y.) corporateBody
associatedWith University of Virginia corporateBody
associatedWith University Of Virginia corporateBody
associatedWith Waterton, Charles, 1782-1865 person
associatedWith Wayne, Anthony person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Chesterfield County VA US
West Point NY US
Auburn MA US
Waterville ME US
Catskill Mountains NY US
Augusta GA US
Subject
Algae
Arsenals
Arsenals
Bailey family
Botany
Chemists
Coasts
Desmidiaceae
Desmidiaceae United States Catskill Mountains (N.Y.)
Diatoms
Educators
Geology, Stratigraphic
Marine sediments
Microorganisms
Mineralogists
Natural history
Nullification (States' rights)
Slaughter family
Occupation
Chemists
College teachers
Activity

Person

Birth 1811-04-29

Death 1857-02-26

Male

Americans

English

Information

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