Charles Hallett Wing

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Charles Hallett Wing (born August 5, 1836 in Boston , Massachusetts , † September 15, 1915 in Brighton , Massachusetts) was an American chemist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology . During his retirement, he privately stocked and operated the largest public library in North Carolina .

Wing graduated from Harvard University . He initially held a professorship at Cornell University before moving to MIT. In 1874 he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences .

After his retirement in 1887, Will founded a public library in the 52-inhabitant town of Ledger in Mitchell County , North Carolina . He collected more than 12,000 books that had been discarded by public and university libraries in and around Boston , making his library the largest public library in the state of North Carolina. He operated a bookmobile , a horse or ox cart, with which books were brought to the readers and donated a school building to the village. Wing gave the facility to the county in 1909 on condition that the library continued to operate for at least eight years. In 1926 the library was closed and the building and land were sold. Later, retired professor Herbert A. McCullough had the log cabin demolished and rebuilt 12 miles further to save it from deterioration.

Wing was married to Sarah Weatherby . The couple is buried in Ledger, North Carolina.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Gastonia Gazette, November 5, 1915, page 2 ( online ; accessed December 10, 2017).
  2. ↑ Cornell Alumni News, November 27 (PDF, 6.4 MB); accessed December 10, 2017.
  3. ↑ Book of Members 1780 – present, Chapter W. (PDF; 852 kB) In: American Academy of Arts and Sciences (amacad.org). Accessed December 10, 2017 .
  4. ^ A b Ronald E. Bergquist: It could have been bigger, but its residents like it as is: Small Town Libraries in Moore County, North Carolina. (PDF, 3.6 MB) p. 87; accessed December 10, 2017.
  5. ^ A b Wing Family of America: The Owl . 1966, p. 4280 (English, limited preview in Google Book search).
personal data
SURNAME Wing, Charles Hallett
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American chemist and library operator
DATE OF BIRTH August 5, 1836
PLACE OF BIRTH Boston , Massachusetts
DATE OF DEATH September 15, 1915
Place of death Brighton , Massachusetts