Alexis Caswell | |
|---|---|
 Caswell in an 1881 illustration | |
| 6th President of Brown University | |
| In office 1868–1872 | |
| Preceded by | Barnas Sears |
| Succeeded by | Ezekiel Robinson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1799-01-29)January 29, 1799 Taunton, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | January 8, 1877(1877-01-08) (aged 77) Providence, Rhode Island, U.S. |
| Resting place | North Burial Ground,Providence, Rhode Island |
| Alma mater | Brown University |
| Profession | Educator |
| Signature |  |
Alexis Caswell (January 29, 1799 – January 8, 1877) was an Americaneducator, born inTaunton,Massachusetts. He graduatedBrown University in 1822, and entered theBaptist ministry.
Caswell wasprofessor ofmathematics andnatural philosophy at Brown University from 1828 to 1850, and of mathematics andastronomy from 1850 to 1864. Professor Caswell was president of Brown University from 1868 to 1872. He was one of the founders of theAmerican Association for the Advancement of Science and served as itsPresident in 1857.
Besides several papers onmeteorology in theReports of theSmithsonian Institution, he wroteThe Life ofFrancis Wayland, aTextbook on Astronomy, and aMemorial of John Barstow (1864).
Caswell was the son of Samuel (1760–1851) and Polly Foster Seaver Caswell (1768–1818). Through his father, he is a direct descendant ofPeregrine White, the first baby boy born aboard the Mayflower while it was anchored at the Massachusetts harbor.
On May 17, 1830, Caswell married Esther Lois Thompson (September 1, 1802 – June 25, 1850) of Providence, the daughter of Edward Kinnicutt Thompson and his wife, Sarah Kuhn Swope/Swoope Thompson. She was a 3rd great-granddaughter of Roger Kinnicutt, who was born in England and emigrated to America around 1635. Her distant cousins includeG. Hermann Kinnicutt andChevy Chase.
They had at least six children:
After Esther's death, Caswell married Elizabeth Brown Edmands (1817–1880) in 1855.
His notable descendants includeJames Rowland Angell,Alexis C. Angell,Robert Cooley Angell, andConstance Green.[citation needed]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Gilman, D. C.; Peck, H. T.; Colby, F. M., eds. (1905). "Caswell, Alexis".New International Encyclopedia (1st ed.). New York: Dodd, Mead.
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| Preceded by | President of Brown University 1868–1872 | Succeeded by |
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