William Smyth (professor)

William Smyth
Born	(1797-02-02)February 2, 1797 Pittston, Maine
Died	April 3, 1868(1868-04-03) (aged 71) Brunswick, Maine
Education	Bowdoin College Andover Theological Seminary
Occupation	Academic
Spouse	Harriet Porter
Children	9
Signature

William Smyth (February 2, 1797 – April 3, 1868) was an American academic and writer on mathematics and other subjects.

Early life

William Smyth was born in Pittston, Massachusetts (which became part of Maine is 1820) on February 2, 1797.[1] He graduated from Bowdoin College in 1822, then studied theology at Andover Theological Seminary.

Career

In 1825, he became a professor of mathematics at Bowdoin College, and in 1846 became an associate professor of natural philosophy. The Bowdoin College Department of Mathematics Smyth Prize is named in his honor.

Smyth was an ardent abolitionist of slavery and supporter of the temperance movement. While at Bowdoin, Smyth supported the effort to the First Parish Church, which is now on the National Register of Historic Places.[2]

Personal life

Smyth married Harriet Porter, daughter of Mary (née Porter) and Nathaniel Coffin. They had nine children.[1]

He died in Brunswick, Maine in April 1868.[1] He is interred at Pine Grove Cemetery in Brunswick.[2]

Bibliography

Smyth wrote several widely used textbooks:

• Elements of Algebra (1833) digitized version
• Elementary Algebra for Schools (1850) digitized version
• Treatise on Algebra" (1852) digitized version
• Trigonometry, Surveying, and Navigation(1855) digitized version
• Elements of Analytical Geometry" (1855)
• Elements of the Differential and Integral Calculus" (1856; 2d ed., 1859) digitized version
• Lectures on Modern History, edited by Jared Sparks (1849) digitized version

References

1. The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography. Vol. X. J. T. White Company. 1900. p. 474. Retrieved July 24, 2020 – via Google Books.
2. "Pine Grove Cemetery Walking Tour" (PDF). Pejescot Historical Society. Retrieved March 30, 2017.

• Bowdoin College Catalogue 1840-1848. Bowdoin College Catalogue. George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections & Archives. Bowdoin College Library.

External links

• Smyth Prize
• An article whose original source is the controversial Appleton's Cyclopedia of American Biography, originally published in 1887-1889, and republished in 1999.