The New Student's Reference Work/Everett, Edward

Ev′erett, Edward, American statesman and orator, was born at Dorchester, Mass., on April 11, 1794. He graduated at Harvard College with the highest honors at the age of 17, where he had been the principal editor of the Harvard Lyceum, one of the first college papers founded in the country. When but 19, he became pastor of Brattle Street Church at Boston. He was appointed professor of Greek at Harvard, took a two years' course of study at Göttingen University in preparation for it, and entered upon his work in 1819. He delivered a course of lectures in the university on Greek literature, and, art, which was so popular that he repeated them in Boston to large audiences. He wrote over 100 articles for the North American Review, of which he was editor for a few years. When he was elected to Congress, in 1824, his public life began. He served ten years, holding positions on important committees most of the time. From 1835 to 1839 he was governor of Massachusetts, and in 1840 was sent to England as minister of the United States. He secured for American seamen the right to fish in the Bay of Fundy, this being the first agreement between England and America on the subject of the fisheries. In 1845-48 he was president of Harvard College. He was secretary of the state for a few months, and again senator from Massachusetts for a short time, and was nominated for vice-president in 1860. His long course of public addresses and lectures, which made him so well known, began in 1824 with an address before the Phi Beta Kappa Society at Harvard College. In 1853 he prepared his address on Washington for the benefit of the Mount Vernon Association. It was delivered first before an immense audience in Boston, and repeated in different cities and states nearly 150 times. He also wrote a weekly article for the New York Ledger, realizing $10,000 for the benefit of the same association. Not including his expenses and his time, Mr. Everett gave $100,000 to the Mount Vernon fund. In 1863 he delivered an address at the dedication of the national cemetery at Gettysburg. He died at Boston, Mass., January 15, 1865.