CHARLES W. ELIOT - TYPED LETTER SIGNED 01/21/1899 - HFSID 112374

CHARLES W. ELIOT
Harvard's youngest president responds to a letter regarding proposed subscription work
Typed Letter signed: "Charles W. Eliot", 1p., 5¼x7. Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1899 January 21. To: Mr. Albert Ellery Berg. In full: "It will not be possible for me to write anything for your proposed subscrip-tion work, entitled 'The Best Hundred Books'. I have forwarded you letter to me to Pro-fessor Arthur Richmond Marsh, 103 Avon Hill Street, who would be a very competent person to write an introduction for you. He is Professor of Comparative Literature. Very truly yours." CHARLES WILLIAM ELIOT (1834-1926) became Harvard University's youngest (at age 35) and longest tenured (40 years) President in 1869. Serving until 1909, Eliot transformed Harvard into one of the nation's most prestigious schools, expanding its facilities, structuring the University into schools and departments, offering an elective system, building athletic facilities (although he personally opposed football) and other innovations. Eliot, who had studied higher education methods in Europe, returned to the U.S. and took a position at M.I.T. in 1865. Four years later, his ideas for reforming higher education were published in "The Atlantic Monthly", leading to his appointment at Harvard, where he had taught early in his career. Eliot also edited Harvard Classics, originally known as Dr. Eliot's Five Foot Shelf, a 51-volume anthology of works selected by Eliot in 1909. Horizontal mailing folds: split 2 from left and 1 from right edges. Lower right corner chipped off. Paper and adhesive residue on verso-no show through. Soiled and toned. Otherwise, fine condition.