John Farrar (1779-1853)

John Farrar was born in Lincoln, Massachusetts, 1 July 1779 and died in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on 8 May 1853. He was graduated at Harvard in 1803, studied theology at Andover, and in 1805 was appointed Greek tutor at Harvard. He was chosen Hollis professor of mathematics and natural philosophy in the same institution in 1807 (a href="../timeline/index.html"> Compare timeline, and retained the chair till 1836, when he resigned in consequence of a painful illness that finally caused his death. He published for the use of his pupils a translation of Lacroix's "Elements of Algebra" (1818), which he followed by selections from Legendre, Blot, Bezant, and others. Harvard, the U.S. military academy, and other institutions at once adopted these works as Textbooks. A photographed version of an astronomy book of Farrar can be read here online. The title is "An elementary treatise of Astronomy", by John Farrar, 1827, 420 pages with illustrations. The book gives insight into what Harvard students were reading at that time. Farrar was a contributor to scientific journals, to the "North American Review," and to the "Memoirs " of the American academy. Farras wife, Eliza Ware, author, born in Flanders, Europe, in 1791; died in Springfield, Massachusetts, 22 April 1870, was the daughter of Benjamin Rotch, of New Bedford, Massachusetts. She was educated in England, lived there until 1819, and in 1828 became the second wife of Professor Farrar. She wrote "Children's Robinson Crusoe"; " The Story of Lafayette"; "The Life of Howard"; "Youth's Love Letters"" " Young Lady's Friend" (1837)" "Congo in Search of his Master" (New York, 1854); and "Recollections of Seventy Years" (Boston, 1865). From Edited Appletons Encyclopedia