Blanchard Libraries

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Blanchard, Jonathan
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Introduction
The private libraries of Jonathan Blanchard and his son Charles Albert Blanchard contains numerous volumes on Freemasonry, slavery and the temperance movement, providing an excellent source for the study of nineteenth century American culture and society.

Provenance: The Blanchard Libraries were dontated to Wheaton College in 1962 by Julia Blanchard and John F. Blanchard, Jr.

Restrictions: There are no specific restrictions on this collection.
Duplication may be restricted if copying could cause damage to items.

Collection Description
The private libraries of Jonathan Blanchard and his son Charles Albert Blanchard, the first two presidents of Wheaton College, comprise this collection and includes volumes autographed by these men. This library reflects the interest and activities of their former owners and contains over 300 volumes. The collection contains numerous volumes on Freemasonry, slavery and the temperance movement. The library is an excellent source for the study of nineteenth century American culture and society, especially the role of Christians in that society.

Biographical/Historical Sketch
With his experience as the former president of Knox College in Galesburg, IL, followed by several years in the pastorate, Jonathan Blanchard arrived in 1859 to lead the struggling Illinois Institute, founded in Wheaton, Illinois by the Wesleyans in 1853. This able administrator was known widely as a staunch abolitionist and crusader for social reform. When Warren L. Wheaton gave a parcel of land to the Institute, Blanchard proposed to have the school renamed Wheaton College. It was his desire that the new college commit itself to a combination of intellectual growth and Christian faith. Touched almost at once by the Civil War, the College said farewell to some sixty-seven enlistees, not all of whom returned.

Charles Albert Blanchard succeeded his father as president and served in this position for 43 years, from 1882 to 1925. A graduate of the Class of 1870, Charles continued to uphold his alma mater's commitment to liberal arts education undergirded with classical studies and a distinctively Christian emphasis. He commended to his students hard work, frugality, and compassion and the virtues of patience, self-denial, and courage. Student enrollment increased, and, in a spurt of growth at the close of the century, new facilities were added to the campus, including an observatory, a ladies' dormitory (Williston Hall), a modern gymnasium (Adams Hall), and an "Industrial Building" (later the Academy and now Schell Hall). Charles' funeral service was held in the recently finished chapel (Pierce Memorial Chapel).

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