James Hammond Trumbull | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Connecticut State Librarian | |
| In office 1854 | |
| Preceded by | None |
| Succeeded by | Charles J. Hoadly |
| Secretary of the State of Connecticut | |
| In office 1861–1866 | |
| Preceded by | John Boyd |
| Succeeded by | Leverett E. Pease |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1821-12-20)December 20, 1821 |
| Died | August 5, 1897(1897-08-05) (aged 75) |
| Political party | Republican |
| Relations | Henry Clay Trumbull Annie Trumbull Slosson Annie Eliot Trumbull |
| Alma mater | Yale University |
| Occupation | Historian,philologist,politician |
| Signature | .png) |
James Hammond Trumbull (December 20, 1821 – August 5, 1897) was an Americanhistorian,philologist,bibliographer, and politician.[1] A scholar ofAmerican Indian languages, he served as the first Connecticut State Librarian in 1854 and asSecretary of State from 1861 to 1866.[2]
Trumbull was born inStonington, Connecticut, to parents Gurdon and Sarah Ann (Swan) Trumbull. His mother was descended from Stonington's first colonists; his father was a wealthy merchant and state legislator, distantly related to GovernorJonathan Trumbull. James Trumbull's siblings included clergyman and authorHenry Clay Trumbull and entomologist and authorAnnie Trumbull Slosson. Trumbull studied at Tracy's Academy inNorwich and enrolled atYale University in 1838. He never received his degree, withdrawing before the end of his junior year because of ill health.[1]
Trumbull received an honorary Master of Arts degree from Yale in 1850 and an honorary LLD in 1871.[1] He subsequently received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree fromHarvard University and an honorary Doctor of Letters degree fromColumbia University, both in 1887.[3]
While at Yale, Trumbull developed a keen interest innatural history, particularlyconchology. Joining the Yale Natural History Society, he collaborated with James Harvey Linsley to write and publish a three-volume catalog of Connecticut's fish, reptiles, and shellfish in 1844 and 1845.[1]
In 1847, Trumbull moved toHartford and became assistant secretary of state of Connecticut from 1847 to 1852. Becoming interested in local history, in 1852 he edited and published, at his own expense, the first volume of thePublic Records of the Colony of Connecticut (1636-1689), followed two years later by a second volume and in 1859 by a third volume.Charles J. Hoadly subsequently edited the remaining twelve volumes in the series.[3]
Trumbull was appointed as the first Connecticut State Librarian in 1854. Although he served for only one year before Hoadly assumed the office, he did much to organize the library and advocate for better funding. He served as assistant secretary of state again from 1858 to 1861 before winning consecutive annual elections to serve asSecretary of the State of Connecticut from 1861 to 1866. He was a member of theRepublican Party.[4]
Trumbull was a life member of theConnecticut Historical Society, having been elected to membership in 1847. He served as secretary from 1848 to 1863, president from 1863 to 1889, and librarian for its David Watkinson Library from 1863 to 1891 before becoming librarian emeritus until 1897. He was a founding member of theAmerican Philological Association, of which he was elected treasurer in 1869, vice president in 1873, and president in 1874. He was a member of theAmerican Association for the Advancement of Science and of the historical societies of Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island, New York, and Wisconsin. He was elected to theAmerican Antiquarian Society in 1855[5] and theNational Academy of Sciences in 1872.[2]
Trumbull was a prolific historian and bibliographer. He wrote extensively on the history of Connecticut, such asHistorical Notes on some Provisions of the Connecticut Statutes (1860–1861),The TrueBlue Laws of Connecticut (1876), andThe Memorial History of Hartford County (1886). He published numerous scholarly editions of writings byRoger Williams,Thomas Lechford,Abraham Pierson,John Eliot, and other historical figures.[3] Between 1878 and 1893, he prepared a massive five-volume catalog for the auction ofGeorge Brinley's private book collection of 9500 titles.[6]
Trumbull's contemporaries considered his knowledge of Native American philology second only toDaniel Garrison Brinton. His study ofAlgonquian languages led him to publishThe Composition of Indian Geographical Names (1870),The Best Methods of Studying the Indian Languages (1871),Indian Names of Places in Connecticut (1881), and other works.[2] Yale University appointed Trumbull a lecturer in Native American languages during the 1870s and 1880s, though the appointment came with no responsibilities and was largely honorary.[1]
Trumbull's correspondence, manuscripts, notebooks, and other papers are held at the Connecticut History Society[7] and at Yale University.[8]
In April 1855, Trumbull married Sarah A. Robinson of Hartford. The couple traveled to Europe and Egypt for their honeymoon. Trumbull died ofinfluenza (grippe) following a brief illness at his home in Hartford on August 5, 1897. He was 75 years old.[3] He was survived by his wife and their only child,Annie Eliot Trumbull.[4]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Secretary of the State of Connecticut 1861–1866 | Succeeded by Leverett E. Pease |
