Emory Washburn was born in Leicester, Massachusetts, on February 14, 1800. His father, Joseph Washburn (1755-1807), was a descendant of a Revolutionary War soldier, and his mother, Ruth Davis, was a descendant of a Mayflower pilgrim. Emory Washburn attended the Leicester Academy and entered Dartmouth College at the age of 13. After transferring to Williams College, from which he received an A.M. degree in 1817, Washburn studied law privately and at Harvard University. After his admission to the bar, he practiced in Leicester (1820-1828) and Worcester (1828-1854); his law partners included Massachusetts Governor John Davis. Washburn served in the Massachusetts legislature, as a judge of common pleas, and as governor of Massachusetts. From 1856-1876, he taught law at Harvard. Emory Washburn married Marianne Cornelia Giles on November 2, 1830, and they had three children: Marianne Giles, Charles, and Emory. Emory Washburn, Sr., died on March 18, 1877.
From the guide to the Emory and Marianne Washburn collection, Washburn, Emory and Marianne collection, 1830-1875, 1830-1851, (William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan)
