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Special Collections Research Center
William & Mary Special Collections Research CenterEarl Gregg Swem Library
400 Landrum Dr
Williamsburg, Virginia
Business Number: 757-221-3090
spcoll@wm.edu
URL: https://libraries.wm.edu/libraries-spaces/special-collections
Finding Aid Authors: Special Collections Staff.
Administrative Information
Conditions Governing Use:
Before publishing quotations or excerpts from any materials, permission must be obtained from the Special Collections Research Center, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library. Researchers are requested to provide a copy of any article that uses material from the Totten Collection to: John C. Chapman, 2021 Griffith Rd., Falls Church, VA 22043.
Conditions Governing Access:
This collection is open to all researchers. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, such as the Virginia Public Records Act (Code of Virginia. § 42.1-76-91); and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3705.5). Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. If sensitive material is found in this collection, please contact a staff member immediately. The disclosure of personally identifiable information pertaining to a living individual may have legal consequences for which the College of William and Mary assumes no responsibility.
Preferred Citation:
Silas Totten Papers, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, College of William and Mary.
Acquisition Information:
Acc. 1977.007 acquired 02/03/1977 from Anne Chapman; Acc. 1979.021 acquired 05/17/1991 from Sarah Totten Chapman. Acquisition information for material received after 7/13/2009 is available by consulting a Special Collections Research Center staff member.
Processing Information:
Acc. 2012.371 and Acc. 2012.372 accessioned and minimally processed by Steven Bookman, University Archives Specialist, in December 2012.
Biographical Information:
Silas Totten was a faculty member at William and Mary from 1849 until 1859, when he became the second president of the University of Iowa. Further information about this individual or organization may be available in the Special Collections Research Center Wiki: .
Scope and Contents
This collection contains letters, diaries, speeches, and other material written by Silas totten, a professor at the College of William and Mary. Included in the collection is a letter from Silas Totten to Ebenezer Faxon requesting him to come to the college and draw architectural plans for a new college building after the 1859 fire. Other letters in the collection were written by and to members of the Totten family. A certificate of Silas Totten's admission to the Holy Order of Priests and minutes from a meeting of students at the College of William and Mary are also included.
Related Material
University Archives Faculty-Alumni File Collection.
1977.007, a framed portrait of Silas Totten was moved to the University Archives Artifact Collection.
Separated Material
1977.007, a framed portrait of Silas Totten was moved to the University Archives Artifact Collection.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
- College of William and Mary--Faculty and Staff
- College of William and Mary--History--19th century
- College of William and Mary--Students
- Correspondence
- Diaries
- Manuscripts (document genre)
- Minutes
- Portraits
- Totten, Silas
Significant Persons Associated With the Collection
- Totten, Silas
- Totten, Silas, 1804-1873
Container List
Scope and Contents This series consists of letters written by and to members of the Totten family; nine of Silas Totten's diaries; speeches and essays written by Silas Totten; a certificate of his admission to the Holy Order of Priests; memorial addresses; biographical sketches; news clippings.
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 1 id38130
Correspondence--from manton Eastburn1845 July 22Scope and Contents
Scope and Contents Manton, Eastburn, Boston, to Rev. and President Totten, Hartford, Connecticut. Re: Expression of sympathy for "the severe affliction you have been called to endure in the injury sustained by your dear and interesting daughter."
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 2 id38131
Correspondence--from Gordon W. Russell1848 August 3Scope and Contents
Scope and Contents Gordon W. Russell, Hartford, to Rev. Silas totten, D.D., at Hartford. Re: Testimony of respect and good wishes to Totten, retiring president of Trinity College.
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 3 id38132
Correspondence--from Benjamin S. Ewell1860 July 18Scope and Contents
Scope and Contents Benjamin S. Ewell, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Va., to Silas Totten, n.p. Re: Award of L.L.D.
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 4 id38133
Correspondence--to Monsieur or Madame Personne1862 AugustScope and Contents
Scope and Contents Mary [?] totten, n.p., to Monsieur or Madame Personne, n.p. Re: Describes when a mob on August 11, 1862, in Iowa came looking for Richard Totten for being a supposed seccessionist.
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 5 id38134
Correspondence--from Edgar Waterman1910 July 21Scope and Contents
Scope and Contents Edgar F. Waterman, Treasurer of Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut, to Anna Totten, Lexington, Kentucky. Re: Requesting Information necessary to compile a biography on her father, the Reverend Silas Totten, S.T.D., L.L.D.
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 6 id38135
Correspondence--from Edgar F. Waterman1916 February 8Scope and Contents
Scope and Contents Edgar F. Waterman, Treasurer of Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut, to Anna Totten, Lexington, Kentucky. Re: A paper on her father that Waterman is sending back to her.
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 7 id38136
Correspondence--to Edgar F. Waterman1916Scope and Contents
Scope and Contents Anna Totten, n.p., to Mr. E[dgar] F. Waterman, Treasurer of Trinity College. Re: Requesting a copy of the paper she sent him concerning her father.
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 8 id38137
Correspondence--to Lyon G. TylerundatedScope and Contents
Scope and Contents Anna Totten, n.p., to Hon[orable] L[yon] T. Tyler, President of W[illiam] and Mary Coll[ege]. Re: Papers she is sending him on her father [Silas Totten].
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 9 id38138
Correspondence--from Samuel BalsonJune 25Scope and Contents
Scope and Contents Sam[ue]l [?] Balson[?], Iowa City, to Miss [?] Totten, n.p. Re: Note accompanying return of Dr. [J.S.] Shipman's address.
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 10 id38139
Silas Totten Diary--Chapters 1-9undatedScope and Contents
Scope and Contents to "My dear children"
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 11 id38140
Silas Totten Diary--Chapter 10undated
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 12 id38141
Silas Totten Diary--Chapters 11-14undatedScope and Contents
Scope and Contents To "My dear children"
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 13 id38142
Silas Totten Diary--Chapters 15, 16, 18undated
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 14 id38143
Silas Totten Diary--Chapters X - XIIIundated
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 15 id38144
Silas Totten Diary--Chapters XIV - XXI1866 August 1
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 16 id38145
Silas Totten Diary1862-1865Scope and Contents
Scope and Contents August 10, 1862 - September 24, 1865
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 17 id38146
Silas Totten Diary--Decatur, Illinois1862-1863Scope and Contents
Scope and Contents September 28, 1862 - September 21, 1863
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 18 id38147
Silas Totten Diary1870
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 19 id38148
Pamphlet--A Letter on Education1867Scope and Contents
Scope and Contents by the Reverend Silas Totten, D.D., L.L.D., Lexington, Kentucky
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 20 id38149
An essay concerning the power of persuasionundatedScope and Contents
Scope and Contents by [Silas Totten]
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 21 id38150
"Farewell to Hartford" and "Farewell to Rev. C.R. Fisher"undatedScope and Contents
Scope and Contents two poems written by [Silas Totten]
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 22 id38151
Speech--Gentlemen and Ladies Teachers in the State of IowaundatedScope and Contents
Scope and Contents a speech given by [Silas Totten]
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 23 id38152
On the Antiquity of the Sciences and Useful ArtsundatedScope and Contents
Scope and Contents by [Silas Totten]
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 24 id38153
Lectures--SpeculationsundatedScope and Contents
Scope and Contents by [Silas Totten]. Lecture one concerns astronomy; lecture two concerns longitude, latitude, and the motions of the earth.
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 25 id38154
Lecture--"We come now to a new epoch in the history of astronomy..."undatedScope and Contents
Scope and Contents Lecture three by [Silas Totten]
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 26 id38155
Certificate--Silas Totten--admitted to Holy Order of Priests1836 August 7Scope and Contents
Scope and Contents Certificate of Silas Totten's admission into the Holy Order of Priests in Trinity Church, Chatham, Connecticut.
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 27 id38156
Certificate--Honorary Degree, L.L.D., Silas Totten--College of William and Mary1860 July 9Scope and Contents
Scope and Contents Certificate of Honorary Degree of L.L.D. conferred on Rev. Silas Totten, D.D., by the College of William and Mary on the fourth of July in the 167th year of the college. Signed by Benjamin S. Ewell.
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 28 id38157
"A Tribute of Respect"1873 October 8Scope and Contents
Scope and Contents by Jacob S. Shipman, J.W. Veneable, Geo[rge] A. Wickes, Louis P. Tschiffely, Walter Tearne.
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 29 id38158
Pamphlet--In Memoriam: An Adress1873 October 12Scope and Contents
Scope and Contents Delivered in Christ Church, Lexington, Kentucky, Sunday Morning, October 12, 1873. By the Rector, the Reverend J.S. Shipman. Re: Rev. Silas Totten
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 30 id38159
Newsclipping--Address in Commemoration of Reverend Abner Jackson1874 July 1Scope and Contents
Scope and Contents "An Address Delivered in Christ Church, Hartford, [Connecticut], Before the House of Convocation of the Rev. Abner Jackson, D.D., L.L.D., Late President, by the Rev. W[illia]m Payne, D.D., Rector of St. George's Church, Schenectady, [N.Y.], July 1, 1874."
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 31 id38160
Biographical Sketch of Silas Tottenundated
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 32 id38161
Biographical Sketch of Reverend Silas Totten, D.D., L.L.D.undated
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 33 id38162
"Christ Church Seminary, Lexington, Kentucky. Rev. Silas Totten, D.d., LLD, Rector."undated
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 34 id38163
"Some Highlights of University History"undatedScope and Contents
Scope and Contents from University of Iowa Bulletin
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 35 id38164
Newsclippings--Twelve Items--Death of Silas Tottenundated
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 36 id174781
Letters and Minutes of the Students of William and Mary1852-1859Scope and Contents
Scope and Contents This series contains letters written by Silas Totten and meeting minutes of the students of the College of William and Mary concerning an editorial in the Richmond Examiner portaying a faculty member in a negative light.