William Channing Gannett papers
Biographical / Historical note
William Channing Gannett was a Unitarian minister in St. Paul, Minnesota (1877-1883) and Rochester, N. Y. (1889-1908).
Scope and Contents
The collection includes the correspondence and other papers of William Channing Gannett (1840-1923), who was a Unitarian minister in St. Paul, Minnesota (1877-1883) and Rochester, N.Y. (1889-1908). The correspondence to and from Mr. Gannett includes letters from Jane Addams, Abigail May Alcott, Susan B. Anthony, Samuel Longfellow, Elihu Root, Alphonso and William Howard Taft, Booker T. Washington, Frank Lloyd Wright and many Unitarian leaders of the late 1800s and early 1900s. There are also letters relating to the Western Unitarian Controversy, the education of the freedmen at Port Royal, the temperance crusade, Unity magazine, Unitarian church organization and membership, and to the editing of Unity Hymns and Chorals by Mr. Gannett and Frederick L. Hosmer. About 400 letters, dated 1875-1912, were added to the collection by Charles H. Lyttle and relate to the Western Unitarian Controversy.
Other material includes diaries belonging to Gannett and his wife, Mary Thorn (Lewis) Gannett, personal financial papers, hymns and hymnals, Gannett lectures and published writings, articles and clippings about the Port Royal experiment, Sunday School lessons used by Gannett, material on Unitarianism and a collection of Unity magazines from 1878 to 1928, materials relating to woman suffrage, and papers written by Gannett in his youth. In addition, family correspondence to and from Mr. Gannett includes letters from his father, Ezra Stiles Gannett, his sister, Kate (Gannett) Wells, his aunt, Kate Tildes, his wife, Mary (Lewis) Gannett and his children, Charlotte and Lewis. Letters from members of the Wells and Lewis families are also included.
Creator
Dates
- Creation: 1841-1953
Language of Materials
English
Extent
75 box(es) (75 boxes, with 752 folders, 105 volumes, 141 magazines)
Access
The William Channing Gannett Papers is open for research use. Researchers are advised to contact the Rare 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
Presented to the University of Rochester Library by Lewis Stiles Gannett, New York, and Dr. E. Carleton MacDowell, Long Island, New York, Feb. 5, 1953; by Dr. Charles H. Lyttle, Chicago, Ill., Nov. 22, 1954; and by Lewis Stiles Gannett, West Cornwall, Conn., and Dr. E. Carleton MacDowell, Long Island, May 17, 1965.
Preferred Citation
[Item title, item date], William Channing Gannett Papers, A.G18, Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester
Genre / Form
Geographic
Occupation
Topical
Subject
- Gannett, William C. (William Channing), 1840-1923 (Person)
- First Unitarian Church of Rochester, N.Y. (Organization)
- Western Unitarian Conference (Organization)
- Title
- William Channing Gannett papers
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by Rare Books and Special Collections staff
- Date
- undated
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Library Details
Part of the Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation Library