James Morris Whiton

James Morris Whiton
Alma mater	Yale University

James Morris Whiton (1833-1920) was one of the first three individuals to earn a PhD at an American university, earning the degree in classics at Yale University in 1861.

Biograpy

Early life

Whiton was born in Boston, Massachusetts and graduated from the Boston Latin School in 1848 as valedictorian. While riding on a train in 1852, Whiton encountered James H. Elkins, then the superintendent of the Boston, Concord and Montreal Railroad. While traveling through New Hampshire, Whiton noted that Lake Winnipesaukee would be an excellent location for a regatta. In response, Elkins remarked that if Whiton could organize a race between Harvard and Yale, that Elkins would pay for all the train fares and other bills.[1]

He completed in the very first Harvard-Yale Regatta in 1852. In 1853, he earned his BA from Yale University. He was also admitted to Phi Beta Kappa and was class salutatorian. Starting in 1859, he began studying Sanskrit with William Dwight Whitney, which ultimately lead to him earning a PhD in classics at Yale in 1861. Some sources note that "his thesis was comprised of six pages all in Latin."[2]

Teaching

After graduating Yale, Whiton worked for a year as a principal’s assistant at the Worcester Classical and English High School in Worcester, MA. He then served as rector of the Hopkins Grammar School (1854-1865). He would later serve as the principal of Williston Seminary from 1876 to 1878.

Ministry

Besides his academic work, Whiton was a minister. He served as a minister in Lynn, Massachusetts (1865-1875), Newark, New Jersey (1879-1885) and New York City (1886-1891).

Death

Whiton died in 1920 and is buried in Grove Street Cemetery in New Haven, Connecticut.

Legacy

In 1888, he established the Whiton Prize at Talladega College.

His papers are held at the Burke Library of Union Theological Seminary, which is a part of the Columbia University Libraries.[3]