THE YALE LITERARY MAGAZINE. VOL. XII. APRIL, 1847. No. 6. PRESIDENT THEODORE DWIGHT WOOLSEY. THEODORE DWIGHT WOOLSEY was born in New York, October 31, 1801. His ancestors on the father's side came from Yarmouth, in England, and settled on Long Island about the year 1640. His father was a merchant in New York of standing and influence; and his mother was a sister of Dr. DwIGHT, formerly President of Yale College. He obtained the elements of classical learning chiefly at schools in Hartford and New Haven, and entered Yale College in September, 1816. After his graduation in 1820, he read law awhile in Philadelphia, without, however, having the profession of law in view, and in the autumn of 1821 joined the theological seminary at Princeton, where he continued almost two years. Before the expiration of the second year in the seminary, he became connected, as a tutor, with Yale College, and spent two years in that office. In the autumn of 1825 he was licensed to preach in the Congregational church. After this he spent a year and a half at home in New York, deeply occupied in studying the original languages of the Scriptures, and the Scriptures themselves, with the help of the best commentaries within his reach. In the spring of 1827 he visited Europe and remained abroad rather more than three years. The greater part of this time was spent in study at Paris and several cities of Germany: five months were passed in England and seven in Italy. In Germany he occupied himself with the study of the Greek language, which he also pursued after his return to the United States in August, 1830. In the autumn of 1831 he was appointed professor of Greek in Yale College. In 1833 he married Elizabeth Martha, only daughter of the late J. Salisbury, Esq. of Boston. At the close of the year 1843 he sustained the very severe affliction of losing three children within a fortnight by the scarlet fever, and was thus deprived of his oldest children and of his two sons. the autumn of 1845 he went abroad principally for his wife's health; and not long after his return the following summer was chosen President of Yale College, into which office he was inducted in October, 1846. He has published editions, accompanied by notes, of the Prometheus of Aeschylus, the Antigone and Electra of Sophocles, the Alcestis of Euripides and of Plato's Gorgias, besides a number of contributions to several periodicals. In |