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Melville Weston Fuller collection

 Collection
Identifier: M215

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Scope and Content

Contains correspondence mostly between Fuller and George T. Little, professor at Bowdoin College, during the years after Fuller's graduation from Bowdoin, as well as diaries and addresses given by Fuller. Also contains clippings and memorial materials on his death in 1910.

Dates

  • Creation: 1879-1910

Creator

Biographical/Historical Note

Melville Weston Fuller was born in Augusta, Maine, on January 11, 1833, to Frederick and Catharine Fuller, who divorced soon after his birth. Fuller entered Bowdoin at the age of 16 and graduated Phi Beta Kappa with the class of 1853. After graduation he studied law at Harvard Law School and was admitted to the bar in 1855, after which he began working for a Chicago law firm.

In 1862, Fuller served as a delegate to the Illinois constitutional convention. He was a member of the Illinois House of Representatives from 1863 to 1865 and was a delegate to the Democratic National Conventions of 1864, 1872, 1876, and 1880. In 1888 Fuller was appointed chief justice of the Supreme Court, a position he held until his death in 1910.

He received L.L.D. honorary degrees from both Bowdoin and Northwestern in 1888. He served as a member of the Bowdoin board of trustees, as well as chairman of the trustees of the Peabody Educational fund and chancellor of the Smithsonian Institution. He died at his home in Sorrento, Maine, on July 4, 1910.

Extent

0.5 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Contains correspondence mostly between Fuller and George T. Little, professor at Bowdoin College, during the years after Fuller's graduation from Bowdoin, as well as diaries and addresses given by Fuller.

Related Names

Subjects

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title
Guide to the Melville Weston Fuller Collection
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections & Archives, Bowdoin College Library, Brunswick, Maine 04011 Repository

http://library.bowdoin.edu/arch/index.shtml
Contact:
3000 College Station
Brunswick Maine 04011 USA
(207) 725-3288

Acknowledgment of non-neutrality

The George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections & Archives, like all archives and special collections libraries, is the creation of human beings who have collected, organized, and described things in ways that reflect personal, cultural, societal, and institutional biases. Although we strive to preserve and present collections in a manner that is respectful to the individuals and communities who create, use, and are represented in the collections, we acknowledge that our systems are neither neutral nor perfect. We encourage you to let us know if you encounter materials, descriptive language, or practices that are offensive or harmful, particularly those for which inadequate context or warning is offered. We are committed to modifying and updating our descriptive practices to use respectful and inclusive terminology and appreciate your help in this work. We look forward to supporting you in your research and learning together.