Francis Augustine Joseph Waldron papers

Collection

Identifier: D.246

Staff Only

Biographical / Historical note

Francis Augustine Joseph Waldron was born on September 17, 1862 in Springfield, Illinois. Waldron attended Springfield High School. From Springfield, he went on to attend the University of Rochester. He took a classical course and received his B.A. in 1889. He later graduated from the Rochester Theological School in 1893. Waldron spent the first part of his professional career in education. He was an assistant principal at Jackson College from 1889 to 1890. After receiving his Theological degree, Waldron was a professor of Latin at Alfred University (1893 to 1896). He concluded his education career by conducting a private school in Rochester from 1896 to 1903. Waldron had changed his religious views around this time and it helps explain why he had a career change. The second part of Waldron's career is not documented very well. Not much is known about it. The biographic record from the University of Rochester (1928) states that Waldron was engaged in mercantile pursuits from 1903 onward. However, there are two documents in Waldron's writing that help give a better idea of what he was doing professionally. There is a postcard from the University of Rochester in 1917 in which he puts down his occupation as postal service. In addition, there is a letter from the University of Rochester to Waldron in April, 1927 requesting information on additional activities since 1921. Waldron writes at the bottom of the letter that he is working for Sampson and Murdock Co. of Boston. There is no date of when Waldron retired although it was probably in the early part of the 1930's because he was approaching age 70. It is during his retirement that Waldron worked on his Anglo-Saxon dictionary. Waldron began work on the dictionary in 1936. Waldron was very involved in the work of the dictionary. He spent three days a week in Rush Rhees Library, University of Rochester, copying down notes, and spent another three days a week "posting" his notes into the finished manuscript at his home. It is said that he would not even leave his cubicle in Rush Rhees when there were bomb raid drills on the library during WWII. Waldron's dictionary was substantially complete when he died in 1947 at the age of 86, but regrettably his dictionary was never published.

Scope and Contents

The Francis A.J. Waldron collection consists of personal papers, notes on Sanskrit grammar, his student Bible, and his research on an Anglo-Saxon Dictionary. The personal papers are exclusively with a group called the Institute of Mentalphysics. The Institute of Mentalphysics is based in Los Angeles, California and calls itself the first church of mystic Christianity. Waldron got involved with the Institute very late in his life. The correspondence between the Institute and Waldron is from September 1946 to January 1947. There are also eighteen commentaries with the teaching of the Institute of Mentalphysics. The rest of the collection, with the exception of Waldron's student Bible, is material related to the Anglo-Saxon dictionary. There is a composition book that has lessons on Sanskrit grammar. There are undated notes as well as dated notes from March, 1946 to August 15, 1947 for the Anglo-Saxon dictionary. There are also many note cards in the first box of the collection. These note cards have a word, its different spellings, and the word's meaning. The most impressive and massive part of the collection is the Anglo-Saxon dictionary itself. The dictionary has word listings from A to zodiacum. In addition, there is a supplement of the dictionary from gaf to gehirsum. Waldron's dictionary takes a word, gives the various spellings of the word, shades of their meaning, and then arranges them with cross-references, in the dictionary. The final portion of the collection is a Bible that Waldron used as a student while at the University of Rochester. The Bible has notes at the front to look at various verses in the bible. The Bible is very worn and is broken in two where one of these verses are, Wisdom 8: verses 19-21.

Creator

Waldron, Francis Augustine Joseph, 1862-1947 (Person)

Dates

Creation: 1936-1947

Language of Materials

English

Extent

4 box(es)

Access

The Francis Augustine Joseph Waldron Papers is open for research use. Researchers are advised to contact the Rare Books, Special Collections & Preservation Department prior to visiting. Upon arrival, researchers will also be asked to fill out a registration form and provide photo identification.

Use

In consultation with a curator, reproductions may be made upon request. Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from a curator. Researchers are responsible for determining any copyright questions.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The collection was donated by Mrs. Evelyn Waldron, wife of Alexander Lee Waldron, 1916, and daughter-in-law of Francis A.J. Waldron in the fall of 1970.

Preferred Citation

[Item title, item date], Francis Augustine Joseph Waldron Papers, D.246, Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester