Williams, Talcott, 1849-1928

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American journalist and educator; editor of the Philadelphia Press for 30 years. First director of the School of Journalism at Columbia.

From the description of Talcott Williams manuscript fragment [manuscript], [1930?]. (University of Virginia). WorldCat record id: 647998840

American journalist, first director of the Columbia School of Journalism.

From the description of Walt Whitman documents, 1884-1890. (Columbia University In the City of New York). WorldCat record id: 122567047

Williams was born in Abeih, Syria on July 20, 1849 to William Frederic and Sarah Ameilia (Pond) Williams. He attended Phillips Academy at Andover, Mass. and graduated from Amherst College in 1873. He was a reporter for the New York World, 1873-1877, Washington correspondent for the New York Sun, 1877-1879, and editorial writer for the Springfield Republican, 1879-1881 and the Philadelphia Press, 1881-1912. From 1912 to 1919 he was the Director of the Pulitzer School of Journalism, Columbia University. He died in 1928.

From the description of Williams papers, 1854-1928. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 51825703

Talcott Williams, journalist and educator, was born in Abeih, Turkey, on July 20, 1849.

From the description of Talcott Williams papers, 1894-1925. (University of Delaware Library). WorldCat record id: 608555156

Talcott Williams, journalist and educator, was born in Abeih, Turkey, on July 20, 1849. He was the son of William Frederic Williams, a Congregational missionary, who helped to create both Robert College in Constantinople and the American College in Beruit. Talcott Williams' uncle, Samuel Wells Williams (1812–1884), was a prominent Sinologist, missionary, and expert in Chinese language and literature. With this background, Talcott Williams grew up with a strong knowledge of Eastern languages and cultures.

Williams traveled to New York in 1865, at the age of 15. The next year, he enrolled in Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, and then in 1869, he began his studies at Amherst College. After graduating in 1873, he got a job as an Albany legislative correspondent for the New York World . During his four year stint with the paper, Williams worked his way up to the position of night editor. At the end of 1876, the World transferred him to Washington D.C., where he became a political reporter. From 1877 to 1879, he was the Washington correspondent for the New York Sun . In 1879, he married Sophia Wells Royce, and that same year, he became an editorial writer for the Springfield Republican, where he remained until 1881.

After leaving the Republican, Williams began what would be a thirty-one year career, writing and editing for the Philadelphia Press . By the time he left the press in 1912, he had become the paper's associate editor. His interests and abilities were widespread; in addition to editorials, he also wrote reviews of art, literature, and theatre, as well as a weekly business column. Williams also traveled to Morocco twice, in 1889 and 1897, collecting artifacts and botanical specimens for the Smithsonian Institute and the University of Pennsylvania Archeological Museum.

In 1912, Williams left his longtime position at the Press and, after thirty-nine years of newspaper experience, became the first director of the Columbia University Pulitzer School of Journalism. His theories of education combined the practice of standard journalistic skills with courses designed to deepen his students' cultural knowledge. He is also credited with teaching and promoting the reporting of scientific news. In addition, he was able to create, by 1900 a collection of over 1,400,000 newspaper clippings for the school. Williams became professor emeritus in 1919 and remained so until his death. In addition to his work at Columbia, Williams was also a trustee of Amherst College from 1909 to 1919, and of the Constantinople College for Women. Between 1895 and 1915, he received at least eleven honorary doctorates, from such institutions as the University of Pennsylvania, Rochester University, and Brown College. He was also a member of numerous organizations throughout his career, including the American Philosophical Society and the American Oriental Society.

During the later years of his life, Williams published numerous articles, pamphlets, and lectures, including works on the Arabic language and a forward to an 1898 edition of The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam . He co-edited the second edition of the New International Encyclopedia in 1917, and contributed to the 10th edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica . He also wrote two books: Turkey, A World Problem of Today (1921) and The Newspaper Man (1922). Talcott Williams died on January 24, 1928.

Dunbar, Elizabeth. Talcott Williams, Gentleman of the Fourth Estate. New York: G.E. Stechert and Co., 1936 "Talcott Williams." Dictionary of American Biography, Volume 10. New York: C. Scribner's Sons, 1958-1964. pp 291-292.

From the guide to the Talcott Williams papers, 1894–1925, (University of Delaware Library - Special Collections)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Langdon Elwyn Mitchell papers, 1883-1936 New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
referencedIn Bingham, Millicent Todd, 1880-1968. Millicent Todd Bingham papers, 1865-1968 (inclusive). Yale University Library
creatorOf Williams, Talcott, 1849-1928,. Walt Whitman documents, 1884-1890. Columbia University in the City of New York, Columbia University Libraries
referencedIn John Jay Chapman papers Houghton Library
referencedIn Walter Hines Page letters from various correspondents, American period Houghton Library
referencedIn American Philosophical Society Archives. Record Group IIi, 1897 American Philosophical Society
referencedIn American Philosophical Society Archives. Record Group IIj, 1898-1988 American Philosophical Society
creatorOf Williams, Talcott, 1849-1928. Correspondence : to Paul Philippe Cret, 1912. University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library
referencedIn Bingham, Millicent Todd, 1880-1968. Papers, 1865-1968 Yale University. Department of Manuscripts and Archives
creatorOf Williams, Talcott, 1849-1928. Correspondence : to Henry Charles Lea, 1894. University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library
referencedIn George Sarton additional papers, 1901-1956 Houghton Library
referencedIn American Philosophical Society Archives. Record Group IIg, 1887-1891 American Philosophical Society
creatorOf Mitchell, S. Weir (Silas Weir), 1829-1914. Papers, 1788-1949 (span), 1850-1928 (bulk). College of Physicians of Philadelphia
referencedIn Robinson, Corinne Roosevelt, 1861-1933. Papers, 1847-1933 Theodore Roosevelt Collection, Harvard College Library, Harvard University
referencedIn Paine, Ralph Delahaye, 1871-1925. Ralph D. Paine letter to My dear Cunniff, between 1894 and 1903? Pennsylvania State University Libraries
referencedIn Mitchell family. Papers, 1806-1949. College of Physicians of Philadelphia
referencedIn Oswald Garrison Villard papers Houghton Library
referencedIn Mitchell, Anne K. Williams. Anne K. W. Mitchell letter to "Hester" [manuscript], 1929 October 26. University of Virginia. Library
referencedIn Graduate School of Journalism records, 1912-1999, [Bulk Dates: 1950-1989]. Columbia University. Rare Book and Manuscript Library
creatorOf Talcott Williams papers, 1894–1925 University of Delaware Library - Special Collections
referencedIn Edward Sanford Martin correspondence and compositions, 1882-1939 (inclusive), 1900-1938 (bulk). Houghton Library
referencedIn Williams, S. Wells (Samuel Wells), 1812-1884. Samuel Wells Williams family papers, 1824-1936 (inclusive). Yale University Library
creatorOf Williams, Talcott, 1849-1928. Talcott Williams manuscript fragment [manuscript], [1930?]. University of Virginia. Library
creatorOf Williams, Talcott, 1849-1928. Article in The Century Magazine, 1912. University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library
creatorOf Williams, Talcott, 1849-1928. Williams papers, 1854-1928. Amherst College. Library
referencedIn Barrows family papers, 1861-1931. Houghton Library
referencedIn Graduate School of Journalism Photographs, 1918-2002 University Archives-Columbiana Library Columbia University
creatorOf Winter, William, 1836-1917. Papers of William Winter [manuscript], 1864-1915. University of Virginia. Library
referencedIn Friends of the Columbia University Libraries,. Collection of literary correspondence and manuscripts, 1828-1953. Columbia University in the City of New York, Columbia University Libraries
creatorOf Williams, Talcott, 1849-1928. Talcott Williams papers, 1894-1925. University of Delaware Library, Hugh M Morris Library
referencedIn Bernard Barber Papers, 1938-1988. Columbia University. Rare Book and Manuscript Library
referencedIn Barber, Bernard. Bernard Barber papers, 1938-1988. Columbia University in the City of New York, Columbia University Libraries
referencedIn Pennsylvania Child Labor Association (Philadelphia, Pa.). Records, 1905-1915. Temple University Libraries, Paley Library
referencedIn William Roscoe Thayer papers, 1762-1927 (inclusive), 1872-1921 (bulk) Houghton Library
creatorOf Langdon Elwyn Mitchell papers, 1883-1936. New York State Historical Documents Inventory
referencedIn Samuel Wells Williams family papers, 1809-1983, 1809-1941 Yale University. Department of Manuscripts and Archives
referencedIn Thomas Wentworth Higginson correspondence Houghton Library
referencedIn League to Enforce Peace (U.S.) additional records, 1917-1923. Houghton Library
referencedIn Walt Whitman Papers in the Charles E. Feinberg Collection, 1763-1985, (bulk 1841-1981) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
referencedIn Oriental Club of the City of New York. Papers, 1896-1982. Columbia University in the City of New York, Columbia University Libraries
referencedIn American Philosophical Society Archives. Record Group IIh, 1892-1896 American Philosophical Society
creatorOf Williams, Talcott, 1849-1928. Scrapbook of circulars, hand-bills, pamphlets, etc., collected at the Republican national convention of 1884 / by Talcott Williams, political editor of the Philadelphia press ; and some additions made by Prof. Edward S. Holden. Wisconsin historical society
referencedIn Williams, S. Wells (Samuel Wells), 1812-1884. Samuel Wells Williams family papers, 1809-1983 (inclusive), 1809-1941 (bulk). Yale University Library
creatorOf Mitchell, S. Weir (Silas Weir), 1829-1914. Biographical project, 1914-1931. College of Physicians of Philadelphia
Role Title Holding Repository
Walt Whitman to Talcott Williams, 29 June [1882] Walt Whitman Archive
Relation Name
associatedWith American Philosophical Society. corporateBody
associatedWith Amherst College corporateBody
associatedWith Amherst College. Class of 1873. Williams. corporateBody
associatedWith Barber, Bernard. person
associatedWith Barber, Bernard. person
correspondedWith Barrows family. family
associatedWith Bingham, Millicent Todd, 1880-1968. person
correspondedWith Chapman, John Jay, 1862-1933 person
associatedWith Columbia University corporateBody
associatedWith Columbia University. Graduate School of Journalism. corporateBody
correspondedWith Feinberg, Charles E., 1899- person
associatedWith Friends of the Columbia University Libraries, corporateBody
associatedWith Higginson, Thomas Wentworth, 1823-1911 person
associatedWith Holden, Edward Singleton, 1846-1914. person
correspondedWith League to Enforce Peace (U.S.). corporateBody
correspondedWith Martin, Edward Sanford, 1856-1939 person
associatedWith Mitchell, Anne K. Williams. person
associatedWith Mitchell family. family
associatedWith Mitchell, Langdon Elwyn, 1862-1935. person
associatedWith Mitchell, S. Weir (Silas Weir), 1829-1914. person
associatedWith Oriental Club of the City of New York. corporateBody
associatedWith Page, Walter Hines, 1855-1918 person
associatedWith Paine, Ralph Delahaye, 1871-1925. person
associatedWith Pennsylvania Child Labor Association (Philadelphia, Pa.). corporateBody
associatedWith Republican National Convention 1884 : Chicago, Ill.) corporateBody
correspondedWith Robinson, Corinne Roosevelt, 1861-1933 person
correspondedWith Sarton, George, 1884-1956 person
correspondedWith Thayer, William Roscoe, 1859-1923 person
correspondedWith Villard, Oswald Garrison, 1872-1949 person
correspondedWith Whitman, Walt, 1819-1892 person
associatedWith Williams, Sophia Wells Royce. person
associatedWith Williams, S. Wells (Samuel Wells), 1812-1884. person
associatedWith Winter, William, 1836-1917. person
Place Name Admin Code Country
United States
Turkey
Morocco
Subject
American poetry
Poets, American
Anthracite coal industry
Journalists
Journalists
Wages
Occupation
Collector
College administrators
Journalists
Activity

Person

Birth 1849

Death 1928

Americans

Information

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