John Gould Stephenson
John Gould Stephenson (March 1, 1828 in Lancaster , New Hampshire , † November 12, 1882 in Washington, DC ) was an American medic and the fifth director of the Library of Congress . He was in office from 1861 to 1864.
Life
After training at the New Hampshire Medical Institution and the Medical College of Castleton he lived in Terre Haute ( Indiana ). In 1861 President Abraham Lincoln made him head of the Library of Congress to succeed John Silva Meehan . There is no historical evidence as to why a medical professional was appointed to this office.
Stephenson fought in the Civil War for most of his tenure . He served as a Colonel in the Union Army: first in the 19th Indiana Regiment and later in the Potomac Army . He took part in the battles of Fitzhugh Crossing, Chancellorsville and Gettysburg .
His greatest achievement was the appointment of Ainsworth Rand Spofford as assistant director. Spofford later took over the office of head of the Library of Congress from him and was instrumental in transforming the library from an auxiliary facility of the Congress into a national institution. After leaving office in 1864, Stephenson served in various public offices.
Web links
- John Gould Stephenson in the database of Find a Grave (English)
Beckley | Magruder | Watterston | Meehan | Stephenson | Spofford | Young | Putnam | MacLeish | Evans | Mumford | Boorstin | Billington | Hayden
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Stephenson, John Gould |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Head of the Library of Congress |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 1, 1828 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Lancaster , New Hampshire |
| DATE OF DEATH | November 12, 1882 |
| Place of death | Washington, DC |