John Gould Stephenson
American librarian and 5th Librarian of Congress / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about John Gould Stephenson?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
John Gould Stephenson (March 1, 1828 – November 11, 1883) was an American physician and soldier who served as Librarian of Congress from 1861 to 1864. Born in Lancaster, New Hampshire to a prominent merchant family, he attended education at Dartmouth Medical College and Castleton Medical College, where he received his M.D in 1849. He moved to Terre Haute, Indiana in the early 1850s, where he became active in the temperance movement and the nascent Republican Party. He campaigned for Abraham Lincoln in the 1859 Senate race in Illinois, at the 1860 Republican National Convention, and in the 1860 presidential election. He pursued an appointment of Librarian of Congress immediately following Lincoln's election, possibly due to his brother's work as a librarian in Cincinnati. After a lengthy pressure campaign, including a number of Indiana officials (including Senator Henry S. Lane), Lincoln appointed him as Librarian of Congress, replacing long-term incumbent John Silva Meehan despite opposition from the Joint Committee on the Library.
John Gould Stephenson | |
---|---|
5th Librarian of Congress | |
In office May 24, 1861 – December 31, 1864 | |
President | Abraham Lincoln |
Preceded by | John Silva Meehan |
Succeeded by | Ainsworth Rand Spofford |
Personal details | |
Born | (1828-03-01)March 1, 1828 Lancaster, New Hampshire |
Died | November 11, 1883(1883-11-11) (aged 55) Washington, D.C. |
Resting place | Congressional Cemetery |
Political party | Republican |
Alma mater | Dartmouth Medical School Castleton Medical College |
Occupation |
|
Military career | |
Allegiance | United States of America |
Service/ | Indiana Legion, Army |
Years of service | 1861–1864 |
Rank | Colonel |
Unit | Iron Brigade |
Conflict | |
Believing that the library had fallen into neglect under Meehan's administration, Stephenson begun a mass change of staff soon after taking office, firing all but one assistant. He hired journalist Ainsworth Rand Spofford, a friend of his brother, as assistant librarian in August 1861. Although never formally commissioned, Stephenson began serving in the Union Army soon after his appointment of Librarian of Congress. He briefly served as an acting naval surgeon to the 19th Indiana Infantry in 1861, before serving as an aide-de-camp in the Indiana militia, where he achieved the rank of colonel. In 1863, he served as the aide-de-camp of Solomon Meredith, commander of the Iron Brigade, and saw action at the battles of Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. He resigned as librarian for unclear reasons in December 1864, and was succeeded by Spofford. He served in various positions as a clerk during the 1870s, and was appointed as a medical examiner at the Bureau of Pensions in Washington in the early 1880s. He died on November 11, 1883, after several months of illness, and was buried in the Congressional Cemetery.