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Dow, Elsie Storrs.

 Person

Biographical Statement

Elsie Storrs Dow was born in Sycamore, Illinois in 1859 to Roswell and Theresa E. Dow. Mr. Dow was a trustee of Wheaton College from 1878 to 1901 and was a well-known educator.

Dow came to study at Wheaton College in 1877 in the Classical program, usually taken by men, and graduated in 1881. After completing her studies at Wheaton she taught at Reed’s Ferry Academy in Manchester, New Hampshire. After four years of teaching she returned to Sycamore and taught for a year. During this time Dow received a Master of Arts degree from Wheaton. Afterward her year of teaching she moved again and became principal of Wasioja Academy in Minnesota until 1889.

In was in 1889 that she returned to her Alma Mater and assumed the Samuel Plumb Professorship of English Literature. She also served as Dean of Women from 1893 to 1901 and also taught courses in classics, history, and mathematics in additional to her English courses. She also served as Registrar for a time. Dow occupied the chair of the English Department for forty-six years and taught three generations of students as her teaching career spanned over five decades. Elsie Dow was known by her colleagues as an authority on Shakespeare and Browning.

At some time she took some graduate courses at Harvard University. She received an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from Lawrence College in 1922.

Dow died at 85 years of age on October 29, 1944 and was buried at Elmwood cemetery in Sycamore.

Citation:
Author: Wheaton College Archives & Special Collections staff

Found in 5 Collections and/or Records:

Collection 284 Oral History Interview with Gladys Wright

 Collection
Identifier: CN 284
Scope and Contents Oral history interviews with Gladys Lyle Wright (1902-1994), in which she discusses her work as a teacher in Belgian Congo (now Democratic Republic of Congo). Topics discussed include: Wright's family background, education at Wheaton College and Moody Bible Institute, her work as a missionary in the Belgian Congo for the Africa Inland Mission, memories of the Congolese people and culture, and her experiences at Wheaton when she was on the staff of the College after retriring from the mission...
Dates: Created: 1984

Collection 293 Oral History Interview with Melvin D. Suttie

 Collection
Identifier: CN 293
Scope and Contents Oral history interview with Melvin David Suttie (1912-2006) in which he discusses his childhood, Christian growth, education at Wheaton College and Biblical Seminary in New York and Omaha Presbyterian Seminary, missionary work with China Inland Mission (1940-1950), work among university students, persecution, evangelistic work among the Chinese population and Nationalist troops, his wife Mary's work among women, their children, church and state relations in China, the impact of the...
Dates: Created: 1985

Collection 319 Oral History Interview with Jesse W. Hoover

 Collection
Identifier: CN 319
Scope and Contents

Oral history interview with Jesse Wilbert Hoover (1908-2002) in which he discuesses his pietistic background and beliefs, his education at Messiah and Wheaton Colleges, his involvement in Mennonite relief work in Europe and the Far East and his evangelistic work in Canada. The time period covered by the interviews is 1908-1947.

Jesse W. Hoover was interviewed by Paul Ericksen on October 7, 1985 in Greenfield, Indiana.

Dates: Created: 1985

Collection 490 Oral History Interview with Joseph C. MacKnight

 Collection
Identifier: CN 490
Scope and Contents Oral history interview with Joseph Charles MacKnight (1921-2003) in which he discusses his education and activities at Wheaton College from which he graduated in 1943, reasons for attending, literary societies, friends and significant staff and faculty (V. Raymond Edman, Russell Mixter, Elsie Storrs Dow, Edith Torrey, Mortimer Lane, James Mack), impact of World War II on the campus, Billy Graham and his role in the Gospel Tabernacle in Wheaton, and his medical career since graduating. The...
Dates: Created: 1993

Elsie Dow Papers

 Collection
Identifier: SC-084
Scope and Contents

The Dow papers are organized into five series (Biographical, Correspondence, Manuscripts, Publish Material and Secondary). The bulk of the collection relates to Dow’s teaching and speaking career and includes notebooks, speeches and class notes. Another portion of some significance is genealogical files located with the biographical series. The collection contains several folders of correspondence in various series.

Dates: Created: 1827-1944

Filtered By

  • Subject: Wheaton College (Ill.) -- Alumni. X

Additional filters:

Subject
Evangelistic work. 3
Catholic Church. 2
Children of missionaries. 2
China -- History -- Civil War, 1945-1949. 2
China -- History. 2
∨ more
Church and state. 2
Church development, New. 2
College students. 2
Conversion. 2
Evangelistic work -- China. 2
Missionaries -- Training of. 2
Missionaries -- Appointment, call, and election. 2
Missionaries. 2
Missions -- Finance. 2
Wheaton College (Ill.) -- Faculty. 2
Women missionaries. 2
World War, 1939-1945. 2
Animism. 1
Articles. 1
Belgium. 1
Belgium. -- Administration. 1
Belgium. -- Colonies 1
Belgium. -- Colonies -- Africa. 1
Boarding schools -- Congo (Democratic Republic) 1
Boarding schools. 1
Catholic Church -- Protestant churches. 1
Catholic Church. -- Congo (Democratic Republic) 1
Catholic Church. -- France. 1
Children of missionaries -- Education. 1
China -- History -- 1937-1945. 1
China -- History -- 1949- 1
Christian education -- Congo (Democratic Republic) 1
Christian education. 1
Church and state -- China. 1
Church and state -- Congo (Democratic Republic) 1
Church work with children -- Congo (Democratic Republic) 1
Church work with children. 1
Church work with military personnel -- China. 1
Church work with military personnel. 1
Church work with refugees -- China. 1
Church work with refugees -- France. 1
Church work with refugees. 1
Church work with students -- China. 1
Church work with students. 1
Church work with women -- China. 1
Church work with women. 1
College students -- Religious life. 1
College students -- United States 1
College students -- United States -- Religious life. 1
College students in missionary work. 1
Communism -- China. 1
Communism. 1
Congo (Democratic Republic) -- Agricultural conditions. 1
Congo (Democratic Republic) -- History -- Civil War, 1960-1965. 1
Congo (Democratic Republic)--Social life and customs 1
Correspondence 1
Depressions 1
Depressions -- 1929 1
Depressions -- 1929 -- United States. 1
Dow, Elsie Storrs, 1859-1944 -- Manuscripts. 1
Education 1
Education -- Congo (Democratic Republic) 1
Evangelistic work -- Congo (Democratic Republic) 1
Evangelistic work -- Northwestern Territory. 1
Fund raising. 1
Hell. 1
Indigenous church administration 1
International relief -- China. 1
International relief -- Christianity. 1
International relief -- France. 1
International relief. 1
Islam -- Relations -- Christianity. 1
Language in missionary work. 1
Medical care 1
Medical care -- Congo (Democratic Republic) 1
Mennonite Central Committee -- Missions. 1
Mennonites 1
Mennonites -- Missions. 1
Missionaries -- Leaves and furloughs. 1
Missionaries' spouses. 1
Missionaries, Resignation of. 1
Missions -- China. 1
Missions -- Congo (Democratic Republic). 1
Missions -- Educational work. 1
Missions to Muslims. 1
Missions, Medical. 1
Pacifism 1
Pacifism -- Christianity. 1
Pentecostalism -- China. 1
Pentecostalism. 1
Persecution -- China. 1
Persecution. 1
Photographs 1
Pietism 1
Pietism -- United States. 1
Presbyterian Church -- Missions. 1
Presbyterian Church. 1
Presbyterians -- United States. 1
Presbyterians. 1
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