This collection consists of the personal correspondence to and from Edmund Burritt Wakefield from his student days at Hiram College, through his Civil War experiences, the Hayden Yellowstone expedition, his family life, as well as professional writings and correspondence. The photograph of E.B. Wakefield accompanying this finding aid has been donated to the Hiram College Archives by his granddaughter, Martha Wakefield Falcone, daughter of Arthur Paul and Olive Lindsay Wakefield.  

Edmund Burritt Wakefield was born in Greensburg, Ohio on August 27, 1846. He was the son of Edwin and Mary Payne (Churchill) Wakefield. His father was an early Disciples of Christ minister. Wakefield entered Hiram in 1863 where he studied under Harvey W. Everest, J.H. Rhodes and Almeda Booth. At the close of the 1863-1864 school year, 18 year old E. B. Wakefield enlisted in the Army as a private in Co. G. 177^th Ohio Infantry and served with the 23^rd Army Corps in Tennessee and North Carolina until the end of the Civil War.  

After the Civil war, he attended Bethany College in West Virginia in1868-1869, returning to Hiram College to graduate in 1870 with an A.B. degree.  With further studies, he earned an A.M. degree in 1873.

In 1870, Wakefield married Martha (Mattie) Sheldon of Aurora. They had four children, Edwin F., Albert Sheldon, Arthur Paul and Cornelia. In 1872, Wakefield served one season on the U.S. Geological Survey team under the leadership of Dr. Ferdinand V. Hayden.  This was the famous Hayden survey which is regarded as the most definitive of all Yellowstone expeditions and culminated in the lands of Yellowstone being designated in 1872 as the world’s first National Park.

Wakefield taught at Hiram for two years as Professor of Natural Science before serving in North Bloomfield, North Bristol and Warren, Ohio for the next seventeen years as a pastor in Disciples of Christ congregations. In 1890, Wakefield returned to Hiram as professor of Political Science and Bible Theology. Between 1903-1905, Professor Wakefield served as Acting President of the college. A much loved figure on campus, upon his retirement in 1910, he was awarded the rank of Professor Emeritus. He continued to reside in Hiram until his death in 1921. 

Wakefield Correspondence:

Section 1 (8 Folders):
            Notebooks and papers written by E.B. Wakefield while at Hiram College.   E.B. Wakefield’s letters
            to family from Hiram (2 mentioning Garfield), dated 8/16/1863-5/12/1867.  Letters contain references
            to Hiram policy and teachers.  Letters to family from Bethany College, dated 11/15/1868-7/26/1871.
             Letters contain references to Bethany policy.  

Section 2 (5 Folders):
            Civil War memoirs, 9/1/1863-7/16/1865.  Contains letters home that describe battle scenarios
            and conditions, as well as location.  Also contains “The Art of Composition,” “Life in the Triplin Army
            Hospital, Columbus,” “War Memoirs of North Carolina.”  Reunion programs, 177^th OVI:  1887,1905.
            “Living Over a Lost Cause,” address at 17^th OVI reunion, 1909. 

Section 3 (5 Folders):
            Letters from the West (U.S. Geological Survey, 1872):  “Yellowstone in ‘’72,” and “Up the
            Yellowstone.”  Also contains “Hayden in Wonderland:  Exploring Yellowstone,” 1989. 

Section 4 (44 Folders):
            Letters of E.B. Wakefield to and from Martha (Mattie) Sheldon, 8/24/1867-7/17/1912.  Love letters,
            discussion of E.B.W.’s future, and Hiram College.  Folder also contains “Burt and Mattie:  A Hiram Love
            Story,” English Seminar, March, 1985. 

Section 5 (56 Folders):
            General family correspondences (Burt and Mattie), 1/3/1867-12/6/1921.  References to family events and
            concerns, Hiram College. 

Section 6 (27 Folders):
            Letters to and from Paul and Olive Lindsay Wakefield, 1/3/1882-12/6/1921.  References to fashions in
            NY in 1894, E.B.W.’s activities with the Disciples of Christ and Hiram College, Paul’s marriage to Olive
            Lindsay, Vachel Lindsay, Paul as a missionary in China and American-Chinese relations at the time, and
            birth of children.  Also in this folder are “Annual Announcements” from 1901-1904 from Rush Medical College. 

Section 7 (19 Folders):
            Letters to and from Al and Susie Wakefield, 1/26/1894-2/7/1910.  References to life in northeastern OH. 

Section 8 (28 Folders):
            Letters to and from Ted (Edwin F.) and Marcia Wakefield, 12/23/1882-6/19/1919.  Descriptions of
            Boston, Maine, policies at Hiram College and Michigan State U., and E.B.W.’s activities with the Disciples of Christ. 

Section 9 (24 Folders):
            Letters to and from Cornelia Wakefield and Walter Robinson, 1/16/1896-6/21/1914.  Descriptions of life in Missouri. 

Section 10 (11 Folders):
            Miscellaneous Hiram College related papers from 1881-1910.  Includes letters from EBW to Hiram
            College Administration and Faculty, ministerial requests, student applications, grade reports, faculty
            applications, college speakers, church-related activities, diploma requests, graduation requirements, and student policies. 

Section 11 (61 Folders):
            Letters to and from E.B.W. Also included are class assignments, correspondences (both business and
            personal), dealings with suppliers, board members, lawsuit between Hiram College and Standard
            Publishing Co. over catalogues, E.B.W.’s relationship with E.V. Zollers, Zollers’ resignation, C.C.
            Rowlison’s presidency, faculty relations, college policies and enrollment, finances, E.B.W.’s term as Acting President. 

Section 11A (10 Folders):
            Lectures, “Normal School in Relation to Church and Home Life,” and “The Place and Scope of the
            College,” and Sermons. 

Section 12 (4 Folders):
            Postcards, 6/25/1903-11/28/1917; supplement to Hiram Broadcaster, containing elegy on Wm. Dietz
            ’81 by Adelaide Rudolph ’79; miscellaneous material on Harvard U.; genealogical memoir, c. 1896. 

Section 13 (12 Folders):
            Convention memorabilia, ordering catalogues, reports from Hiram College, announcements, cards, and
            miscellaneous news clippings.  Also contains a history of the collection and its donation to Hiram College
            by Frederick Henry; genealogy of Wakefield Family by Amy Rice, granddaughter of E.B.W. 

Section 14:
            Envelopes. 

Section 15 (1 Folder)
            Material relating to Vachel Lindsay Wakefield, donated by his sister Catharine Wakefield Ward, 2/1998.
            Includes papers relating to his work at Iolani School in Hawaii, M.A. thesis for U. of Main: “East Corinth
            Academy, 184301940,” memorials. 

See also:  WAKEFIELD, EDMUND BURRITT in Hiram Author Catalogue.