William Small
From Special Collections Research Center Wiki
William Small (1734-1775) taught at the College of William and Mary from 1758 to 1764. Born in Carmyllie, Forfarshire, Scotland, he was educated at Marsichal College (University of Aberdeen).
Thomas Jefferson said of Small:
“It was my great good fortune, and what probably fixed the destinies of my life that Dr. Wm. Small of Scotland was then professor of Mathematics, a man profound in most of the useful branches of science, with a happy talent of communication, correct and gentlemanly manners & an enlarged and liberal mind.”
A portrait of William Small from the 18th century by Tilly Kettle, a member of the esteemed British Royal Academy, is owned by the College.
In 1963, the science building was named Small Hall in honor of Professor Small.
Contents |
Material in the SCRC
- Photographs P1979.209, 1986.39
- William Small Papers
- College Papers, Folder 259: College's Account with Small
- Letter, Stephen Hawtrey, Brick Court, London, 26 March 1765, to Edward Hawtrey, Exeter, Devon, containing a short description of the College and of the professorship of William Small at the College; Edward Hawtrey Folder, University Archives Faculty Alumni File Collection.
- Martin Clagett, William Small, 1734-1775 : teacher, mentor, scientist, Thesis (Ph. D.)--Virginia Commonwealth University, 2003. Also available in Archives Books: call number: LD6051 .W518 S53 2003.
- James Patrick Muirhead, James Watt, William Small, The origin and progress of the mechanical inventions of James Watt; illustrated by his correspondence with his friend and the specifications of his patents, TA140 .W3 A2 V.1 .
References
- SCRC File.
Additional Material
- Herbert L. Ganter, "William Small, Thomas Jefferson's Beloved Teacher," William and Mary Quarterly, 3d. series, 4 (1947): 505-511, provides an account of Small's years at William and Mary.
- Dumas Malone, Jefferson, the Virginian, Boston: Little Brown and Company, 1948, for Small's influence on Jefferson, 51-55.
Need help?
To search for further material, see Finding Materials in the SCRC for an introduction to the SCRC Collections Database, card catalogs, Flat Hat-William & Mary News-Alumni Gazette index, etc.
Questions? Contact the SCRC at spcoll@wm.edu or 757-221-3090, or visit the Special Collections Research Center in the Earl Gregg Swem Library at the College of William and Mary (hours). Contact information for individual staff members is available.
| A Note About The Contents Of This Wiki |
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| The information available in this wiki is the best available from known documents and sources at the time it was written. Unfortunately, many of the early original records of the College of William and Mary were destroyed by fire, military occupation, and the normal effects of time. The information available here is the best available from known documents and sources at the time it was written. Information in this wiki is not complete as new information continues to be uncovered in the SCRC's collections and elsewhere. Researchers are strongly encouraged to use the SCRC's access tools for their research as the information contained in this wiki is by no means comprehensive. |
