Basil Lanneau Gildersleeve facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Basil Lanneau Gildersleeve
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| Born | October 23, 1831 |
| Died | January 9, 1924 (aged 92) |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Princeton University (BA) University of Bonn University of Göttingen (PhD) |
| Occupation | Classical philology professor |
| Known for | Founder of the American Journal of Philology |
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| Institutions | University of Virginia Johns Hopkins University |
| Academic advisors | Johannes Franz Friedrich Wilhelm Ritschl Friedrich Wilhelm Schneidewin |
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Basil Lanneau Gildersleeve (October 23, 1831 – January 9, 1924) was an American expert in classical studies. This means he studied the ancient Greek and Roman languages and cultures. He wrote many books and was the first editor of the American Journal of Philology. People remember him for his work on syntax (how words are put together in sentences) in Greek and Latin. He also contributed to the history of Greek literature.
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Life Story of Basil Gildersleeve
Basil Lanneau Gildersleeve was born in Charleston, South Carolina. His father, Benjamin Gildersleeve, was a Presbyterian minister and newspaper editor. His mother's family, the Lanneaus, were Acadians, French people who were forced to leave their homes in what is now Nova Scotia.
Early Education and Studies Abroad
Basil was very smart. He graduated from Princeton in 1849 when he was only 18 years old. After that, he traveled to Europe to continue his studies. He learned from famous scholars in Berlin, Bonn, and Göttingen. In 1853, he earned his PhD from Göttingen.
When he came back to the United States, Princeton offered him a job as a Classics professor, but he decided not to take it. Instead, from 1856 to 1876, he taught Greek at the University of Virginia. For some of those years, he also taught Latin.
Service During the Civil War
During the American Civil War, Gildersleeve served with the Confederate States Army. He was shot in the leg during the war. After the war ended, he returned to teaching at the University of Virginia.
Joining Johns Hopkins University
About ten years later, in 1876, he received an offer from Daniel Coit Gilman to teach at the new Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Gildersleeve became one of the first five full professors there. He was in charge of creating the program for studying Greek and Roman literature. He did a great job, hiring talented junior faculty and graduate students who became important in classical studies. His hiring also helped the new university gain trust in Baltimore, as many people were unsure about a university founded by someone from the North.
Founding the American Journal of Philology
In 1880, Gildersleeve started the American Journal of Philology. This was a quarterly magazine published by Johns Hopkins University. He was the main editor and put a lot of his personality into it. He believed that the real goal of scholarship was to understand "that which is."
His Writings and Research
Gildersleeve wrote a very important Latin Grammar in 1867. He also created a Latin Series of books for high school students in 1875. These books were known for being clear and showing his deep understanding of grammar. He also edited a work by the ancient Roman poet Persius.
He was especially interested in Christian Greek, which is a form of ancient Greek. He edited the Apologies of Justin Martyr, an early Christian writer. In this work, he used his own ideas about Greek syntax. He also wrote Syntax of Classic Greek (Part I, 1900). In 1885, he edited The Olympian and Pythian Odes of Pindar, which included a brilliant introduction.
Gildersleeve also wrote essays for magazines like The Atlantic Monthly. Some of these essays, including "The Creed of the Old South," were later published in a book. It is important to note that some of Gildersleeve's views expressed during and after the Civil War, particularly his opinions on slavery, have been criticized in more recent times.
Awards and Retirement
Gildersleeve was a respected scholar. He was elected president of the American Philological Association twice. He also became a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Many universities gave him honorary degrees, including Harvard, Yale, and Oxford.
He stopped teaching in 1915 and passed away on January 9, 1924. He was buried at the University of Virginia Cemetery. His colleague, Professor C. W. E. Miller, said that Gildersleeve knew many Greek writers very well.
His Legacy
Basil Gildersleeve's name lives on in several ways:
- Gildersleeve House is one of the dormitories for students at Johns Hopkins University.
- Gildersleeve Portal is part of the Brown Residential College at the University of Virginia.
- The Classics program at the University of Virginia has a special teaching position called the Gildersleeve distinguished professorship, honoring his contributions.
