Founder of Storer College- College founder Nathan Cook Brackett (July 28, 1836-July 20, 1910) was born in Phillips, Maine. He was a minister of the Free Will Baptist Church. Graduating from Dartmouth College in 1864, he joined the U.S. Christian Commission and was stationed in the Shenandoah Valley to assist both Union and Confederate soldiers and freed slaves.
After the war, Brackett served his church's mission to educate freed slaves by supervising 25 young female teachers from the North, scattered in Free Will Baptist schools throughout the valley from Harpers Ferry and Martinsburg to Lynchburg, Virginia. He proposed that his church's best service would be to equip blacks to teach other blacks, rather than relying only on missionary teachers from New England. The church leaders embraced the idea and raised the necessary funding to establish Storer College at Harpers Ferry. The college opened in October 1867, with Brackett as its first president.
Brackett retired from Storer's presidency in 1897, although he continued as treasurer until his death. Noted for his good humor and diplomacy, Brackett was respected by blacks and whites alike. He served on the Harpers Ferry Town Council and was for two years the superintendent of free schools there. He was a regent of the Bluefield Colored Institute (now Bluefield State College) for eight years, four as president of the board. .
This Article was written by Barbara Rasmussen
Last Revised on January 07, 2011
Nathan Cook Brackett, son of Joshua and Mary (Cook) Brackett, was born July 28, 1836, at Phillips, Maine. He pursued his preparatory course at the Maine State Seminary, Lewiston, Maine, and entered Waterville College in the Fall of 1860, where he remained until the close of Junior year. He came to Dartmouth and joined our class at the beginning of Senior year.
Soon after graduating, in August, 1864, he entered the service of the United States Christian Commission, and was sent to Harper's Ferry, West Virginia. In September following, he was appointed field agent of the Commission, and served in that capacity until the close of the war. He spent July and August, 1865, in North Carolina, and became much interested in the Freedmen. In October, 1865, he went to Harper's Ferry, West Virginia, as an agent of the American Missionary Association, to organize schools for the Freedmen. He served in that capacity until 1867, at which time Storer College was organized, and he was elected President, which position he still occupies. They have buildings worth sixty thousand dollars, and an attendance of about two hundred and fifty pupils. It has both Academic and State Normal departments.
He was appointed County Superintendent of Free Schools in 1869, and held the office for two years. In 1870 he was clearly elected to the Legislature of West Virginia, but not being on good terms with the officers who held the ballot-box, he was counted out. He then retired from politics.
He received the degree of Doctor of Philosophy from Bates College, Lewiston, Maine, at its Commencement in June, 1883.
During the past year, he has purchased a Summer residence in Phillips, Maine, his native town, and expects in future to spend his Summers there with his family. He has also bought the local paper, The Phillips Phonograph.
His religious preferences are Free-Will Baptist; in politics, he is a Republican. He was married October 16, 1865, to Miss Louise Wood, of Lewiston, Maine.
They have had five children: James Wood, born June 20, 1867; Mary, born November 13, 1868; Celeste Elizabeth, born June 12, 1871 ; Ledru Joshua, born March 29, 1873; Virginia Edith, born May 22, 1878.
Virginia Edith died July 11, 1879.
Source: "Memorialia of the Class of '64 in Dartmouth College" complied by John C. Webster, Shepard & Johnston, Printers, 1884, Chicago
After the war, Brackett served his church's mission to educate freed slaves by supervising 25 young female teachers from the North, scattered in Free Will Baptist schools throughout the valley from Harpers Ferry and Martinsburg to Lynchburg, Virginia. He proposed that his church's best service would be to equip blacks to teach other blacks, rather than relying only on missionary teachers from New England. The church leaders embraced the idea and raised the necessary funding to establish Storer College at Harpers Ferry. The college opened in October 1867, with Brackett as its first president.
Brackett retired from Storer's presidency in 1897, although he continued as treasurer until his death. Noted for his good humor and diplomacy, Brackett was respected by blacks and whites alike. He served on the Harpers Ferry Town Council and was for two years the superintendent of free schools there. He was a regent of the Bluefield Colored Institute (now Bluefield State College) for eight years, four as president of the board. .
This Article was written by Barbara Rasmussen
Last Revised on January 07, 2011
Nathan Cook Brackett, son of Joshua and Mary (Cook) Brackett, was born July 28, 1836, at Phillips, Maine. He pursued his preparatory course at the Maine State Seminary, Lewiston, Maine, and entered Waterville College in the Fall of 1860, where he remained until the close of Junior year. He came to Dartmouth and joined our class at the beginning of Senior year.
Soon after graduating, in August, 1864, he entered the service of the United States Christian Commission, and was sent to Harper's Ferry, West Virginia. In September following, he was appointed field agent of the Commission, and served in that capacity until the close of the war. He spent July and August, 1865, in North Carolina, and became much interested in the Freedmen. In October, 1865, he went to Harper's Ferry, West Virginia, as an agent of the American Missionary Association, to organize schools for the Freedmen. He served in that capacity until 1867, at which time Storer College was organized, and he was elected President, which position he still occupies. They have buildings worth sixty thousand dollars, and an attendance of about two hundred and fifty pupils. It has both Academic and State Normal departments.
He was appointed County Superintendent of Free Schools in 1869, and held the office for two years. In 1870 he was clearly elected to the Legislature of West Virginia, but not being on good terms with the officers who held the ballot-box, he was counted out. He then retired from politics.
He received the degree of Doctor of Philosophy from Bates College, Lewiston, Maine, at its Commencement in June, 1883.
During the past year, he has purchased a Summer residence in Phillips, Maine, his native town, and expects in future to spend his Summers there with his family. He has also bought the local paper, The Phillips Phonograph.
His religious preferences are Free-Will Baptist; in politics, he is a Republican. He was married October 16, 1865, to Miss Louise Wood, of Lewiston, Maine.
They have had five children: James Wood, born June 20, 1867; Mary, born November 13, 1868; Celeste Elizabeth, born June 12, 1871 ; Ledru Joshua, born March 29, 1873; Virginia Edith, born May 22, 1878.
Virginia Edith died July 11, 1879.
Source: "Memorialia of the Class of '64 in Dartmouth College" complied by John C. Webster, Shepard & Johnston, Printers, 1884, Chicago
Founder of Storer College- College founder Nathan Cook Brackett (July 28, 1836-July 20, 1910) was born in Phillips, Maine. He was a minister of the Free Will Baptist Church. Graduating from Dartmouth College in 1864, he joined the U.S. Christian Commission and was stationed in the Shenandoah Valley to assist both Union and Confederate soldiers and freed slaves.
After the war, Brackett served his church's mission to educate freed slaves by supervising 25 young female teachers from the North, scattered in Free Will Baptist schools throughout the valley from Harpers Ferry and Martinsburg to Lynchburg, Virginia. He proposed that his church's best service would be to equip blacks to teach other blacks, rather than relying only on missionary teachers from New England. The church leaders embraced the idea and raised the necessary funding to establish Storer College at Harpers Ferry. The college opened in October 1867, with Brackett as its first president.
Brackett retired from Storer's presidency in 1897, although he continued as treasurer until his death. Noted for his good humor and diplomacy, Brackett was respected by blacks and whites alike. He served on the Harpers Ferry Town Council and was for two years the superintendent of free schools there. He was a regent of the Bluefield Colored Institute (now Bluefield State College) for eight years, four as president of the board. .
This Article was written by Barbara Rasmussen
Last Revised on January 07, 2011
Nathan Cook Brackett, son of Joshua and Mary (Cook) Brackett, was born July 28, 1836, at Phillips, Maine. He pursued his preparatory course at the Maine State Seminary, Lewiston, Maine, and entered Waterville College in the Fall of 1860, where he remained until the close of Junior year. He came to Dartmouth and joined our class at the beginning of Senior year.
Soon after graduating, in August, 1864, he entered the service of the United States Christian Commission, and was sent to Harper's Ferry, West Virginia. In September following, he was appointed field agent of the Commission, and served in that capacity until the close of the war. He spent July and August, 1865, in North Carolina, and became much interested in the Freedmen. In October, 1865, he went to Harper's Ferry, West Virginia, as an agent of the American Missionary Association, to organize schools for the Freedmen. He served in that capacity until 1867, at which time Storer College was organized, and he was elected President, which position he still occupies. They have buildings worth sixty thousand dollars, and an attendance of about two hundred and fifty pupils. It has both Academic and State Normal departments.
He was appointed County Superintendent of Free Schools in 1869, and held the office for two years. In 1870 he was clearly elected to the Legislature of West Virginia, but not being on good terms with the officers who held the ballot-box, he was counted out. He then retired from politics.
He received the degree of Doctor of Philosophy from Bates College, Lewiston, Maine, at its Commencement in June, 1883.
During the past year, he has purchased a Summer residence in Phillips, Maine, his native town, and expects in future to spend his Summers there with his family. He has also bought the local paper, The Phillips Phonograph.
His religious preferences are Free-Will Baptist; in politics, he is a Republican. He was married October 16, 1865, to Miss Louise Wood, of Lewiston, Maine.
They have had five children: James Wood, born June 20, 1867; Mary, born November 13, 1868; Celeste Elizabeth, born June 12, 1871 ; Ledru Joshua, born March 29, 1873; Virginia Edith, born May 22, 1878.
Virginia Edith died July 11, 1879.
Source: "Memorialia of the Class of '64 in Dartmouth College" complied by John C. Webster, Shepard & Johnston, Printers, 1884, Chicago
After the war, Brackett served his church's mission to educate freed slaves by supervising 25 young female teachers from the North, scattered in Free Will Baptist schools throughout the valley from Harpers Ferry and Martinsburg to Lynchburg, Virginia. He proposed that his church's best service would be to equip blacks to teach other blacks, rather than relying only on missionary teachers from New England. The church leaders embraced the idea and raised the necessary funding to establish Storer College at Harpers Ferry. The college opened in October 1867, with Brackett as its first president.
Brackett retired from Storer's presidency in 1897, although he continued as treasurer until his death. Noted for his good humor and diplomacy, Brackett was respected by blacks and whites alike. He served on the Harpers Ferry Town Council and was for two years the superintendent of free schools there. He was a regent of the Bluefield Colored Institute (now Bluefield State College) for eight years, four as president of the board. .
This Article was written by Barbara Rasmussen
Last Revised on January 07, 2011
Nathan Cook Brackett, son of Joshua and Mary (Cook) Brackett, was born July 28, 1836, at Phillips, Maine. He pursued his preparatory course at the Maine State Seminary, Lewiston, Maine, and entered Waterville College in the Fall of 1860, where he remained until the close of Junior year. He came to Dartmouth and joined our class at the beginning of Senior year.
Soon after graduating, in August, 1864, he entered the service of the United States Christian Commission, and was sent to Harper's Ferry, West Virginia. In September following, he was appointed field agent of the Commission, and served in that capacity until the close of the war. He spent July and August, 1865, in North Carolina, and became much interested in the Freedmen. In October, 1865, he went to Harper's Ferry, West Virginia, as an agent of the American Missionary Association, to organize schools for the Freedmen. He served in that capacity until 1867, at which time Storer College was organized, and he was elected President, which position he still occupies. They have buildings worth sixty thousand dollars, and an attendance of about two hundred and fifty pupils. It has both Academic and State Normal departments.
He was appointed County Superintendent of Free Schools in 1869, and held the office for two years. In 1870 he was clearly elected to the Legislature of West Virginia, but not being on good terms with the officers who held the ballot-box, he was counted out. He then retired from politics.
He received the degree of Doctor of Philosophy from Bates College, Lewiston, Maine, at its Commencement in June, 1883.
During the past year, he has purchased a Summer residence in Phillips, Maine, his native town, and expects in future to spend his Summers there with his family. He has also bought the local paper, The Phillips Phonograph.
His religious preferences are Free-Will Baptist; in politics, he is a Republican. He was married October 16, 1865, to Miss Louise Wood, of Lewiston, Maine.
They have had five children: James Wood, born June 20, 1867; Mary, born November 13, 1868; Celeste Elizabeth, born June 12, 1871 ; Ledru Joshua, born March 29, 1873; Virginia Edith, born May 22, 1878.
Virginia Edith died July 11, 1879.
Source: "Memorialia of the Class of '64 in Dartmouth College" complied by John C. Webster, Shepard & Johnston, Printers, 1884, Chicago
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