Barton, Samuel Dickinson. Lecture Notes (Amherst College), 1827 and undated.
Samuel Dickinson Barton was a student in the class of 1831 at Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts. These two volumes contain notes written by Barton while attending lectures at Amherst. One is dated 1827, the other is undated. The lectures he attended cover a variety of topics including theology, geology, mineralogy, natural philosophy, English, French, and chemistry. These volumes are particularly interesting because they include lectures delivered by Edward Hitchcock (1793-1864). Hitchcock is considered one of the founders of American geology and geology as a science. He founded the Association of American Geologists, was head of the first geological survey of Massachusetts, and was appointed State Geologist of Massachusetts in 1830. He began teaching at Amherst College in 1825, and served as president of the college from 1845-1854. These volumes show that Hitchcock not only made his mark on the science of geology, but remained devoted to teaching and education as well. He continued teaching at Amherst College until his death in 1864.
