Francis James Child
1825 – 1896

Francis James Child

American folklorist (1825–1896)

musicologistphilologistuniversity teacherwriter
Born
1825-02-01, Boston
Died
1896-09-11
Birthplace state
Massachusetts

Biography

Francis James Child was an American scholar, educator, and folklorist, best known today for his collection of English and Scottish ballads now known as the Child Ballads. Child was Boylston Professor of Rhetoric and Oratory at Harvard University, where he produced influential editions of English poetry. In 1876 he was named Harvard's first professor of English, a position which allowed him to focus on academic research. It was during this time that he began work on the Child Ballads.

Occupation

Francis James Child is recorded as a musicologist, a philologist, a university teacher and a writer, born in Massachusetts (1825–1896).

Connections to Massachusetts

Francis James Child was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1825. Explore other notable figures from Massachusetts, historic sites connected to this era, and the full colonial and statehood history of the state using the links below.

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More notable figures from Massachusetts

Other historical figures born in Massachusetts, ranked by historical prominence.

John F. Kennedy
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president of the United States from 1961 to 1963 (1917–1963)
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe
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Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin
American polymath and statesman (1706–1790)
George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
president of the United States from 1989 to 1993 (1924-2018)
John Adams
John Adams
Founding Father, U.S. president from 1797 to 1801
John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams
President of the United States from 1825 to 1829
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson
American philosopher (1803–1882)

Frequently asked about Francis James Child

Who was Francis James Child?
Francis James Child was American folklorist (1825–1896), born in Massachusetts (1825 – 1896).
When and where was Francis James Child born?
Francis James Child was born on 1825-02-01 in Boston.
When did Francis James Child die?
Francis died on 1896-09-11.
What was Francis James Child known for?
Francis James Child is recorded as a musicologist, a philologist, a university teacher and a writer.
Source

Biographical content adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Source: Wikipedia.

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