Theodore William Dwight
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Appendix Beta2: The Nantes Intellectual Line Connecting brothers of Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity at Cornell University, tracing their fraternal Big Brother/Little Brother line to the tri-Founders and their Pledges . Joseph Benson Foraker was a founder of New York Alpha, in the Class of 1869, and studied under . . .Theodore Dwight in those first years . Professor Theodore William Dwight . William Smith was brought to Penn by was influenced by Samuel Finley Benjamin Franklin . Breese Morse . . Samuel Finley Breese Morse was, . Benjamin Franklin’s endeavors were in turn, influenced by sponsored by the Frenchman Washington Allston . Jacques-Donatien Le Ray . . Washington Allston was influenced by . Jacques-Donatien Le Ray was the son Benjamin West . of René François Le Ray . . Benjamin West was influenced by . René François Le Ray was the son of William Smith . Jean Le Ray of Nantes. Below we present short biographies of the Nantes intellectual line of the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity at Cornell University. “Who defends the House.” We begin with brother Joseph Benson Foraker of the Class of 1869, who studied under Professor Theodore Dwight in the University’s first years of existence. Theodore William Dwight (1822- 1892), American jurist and educator, cousin of Theodore Dwight Woolsey and of Timothy Dwight V, was born July 18, 1822 in Catskill, New York. His father was Benjamin Woolsey Dwight (1780-1850), a physician and merchant, and his grandfather was Timothy Dwight IV (1752- 1817), a prominent theologian, educator, author, and president of Yale University from 1795-1817. Theodore Dwight graduated from Hamilton College in 1840 where he studied physics under SFB Morse and John William Draper. Dwight taught the classics at Utica Academy in 1840-1841. He studied law at Yale and Yale College was admitted to the bar in 1845. Between 1842-1858, he taught at Hamilton, first as tutor and later as professor of law, history, civil polity, and political economy. In 1853 he became dean of the Hamilton Law School. In 1858, he accepted an invitation to develop a department of law at Columbia. He was the sole professor of law at Columbia until the department was expanded in 1873, eventually became Columbia Law School. He served as the dean at Columbia Law School until 1891. That year, he and other faculty, students, and alumni of Columbia Law School, protesting the Columbia trustees’ attempts to convert Columbia law school to the case method, left to found New York Law School. At Columbia, Dwight was the creator of the Dwight method of legal instruction, which emphasized memorization of treatises, practice drills, and frequent moot courts. The Dwight method was in competition with the case method developed by Christopher Columbus Langdell, then Dean of Harvard, which emphasized the study of individual cases, and inductive reasoning. As described by Columbia Professor Peter Strauss, "Where Dwight aimed to give a sound knowledge of the law to men of average ability, Harvard's case method aimed to give as much intellectual stimulation as possible to those who would become the profession's elite." Today, the more abstract case method dominates legal education, even at New York Law School. However, the Dwight method, while not described as such, is still used in some law schools. Dwight-like memorization techniques are also widely used to prepare for state bar exams. 2 Dwight was also a prominent figure in political and social reforms. In 1873, Governor Dix of New York appointed Dwight a member of the commission of appeals, which in 1874-1875 aided the court of appeals to clear its docket. In 1886 he served as counsel for five Andover professors charged with heresy. Dwight was particularly interested in prison reform; he collaborated on A Report on Prisons and Reformatories in the United States and Canada (1867), served as president of the New York Prison Association, and was a delegate to the International Prison Congress at Stockholm (1878). He helped draw up the bill for the establishment of the Elmira Reformatory and wrote an early report that helped lead to the organization the State Charities Aid Association. Dwight edited Sir Henry Maine's Ancient Law (1864); was associate editor of the American Law Register and legal editor of Johnson's Cyclopaedia; and published Charitable Uses: Argument in the Rose Will Case (1863). He was a non-resident professor of law at Cornell (1869-1871) and at Amherst (1870- 1872). Dwight died in Clinton, New York, on the 28th of June 1892. 3 Professor Theodore Dwight studied physics under inventor, and partner of Ezra Cornell, Samuel F.B. Morse: Samuel Finley Breese Morse (April 27, 1791 – April 2, 1872) was an American painter of portraits and historic scenes, the creator of a single wire telegraph system, and co-inventor, with Alfred Vail, of the Morse Code. Samuel F.B Morse was born on April 27, 1791 in Charlestown, Massachusetts, the first child of geographer and pastor Jedidiah Morse and Elizabeth Ann Breese Morse. Jedidiah was a great preacher of the Calvinist faith and supporter of the American Federalist party. He not only saw them as great preservers of Puritan traditions (strict observance of the Sabbath), but believed in their idea of an alliance with English in regards to a strong central government. Jedidiah strongly believed in Yale College education within a Federalist framework alongside the instillation of Calvinist virtues, morals and prayers for his son. After attending Phillips Academy in Andover, Samuel went on to Yale College to receive instruction in the subjects of religious philosophy, mathematics and science of horses. While at Yale, he attended lectures on electricity from Benjamin Silliman and Jeremiah Day. He earned money by painting. In 1810, he graduated from Yale. Morse's Calvinist beliefs are evident in his painting the Landing of the Pilgrims, through the depiction of simplistic clothing as well as the austere facial features. This image captured the psychology of the Federalists; Calvinists from England brought to the United States ideas of religion and government thus forever linking the two countries. More importantly, this particular work attracted the attention of the famous artist, Washington Allston. Allston wanted Morse to come with him to England to meet the famous British artist Benjamin West. An agreement for three year stay was made with Jedidah and young Morse set sail with Allston aboard the Lydia on July 15, 1811. Upon his arrival in England, Morse diligently worked on perfecting painting techniques under the careful eye of Allston and by the end of 1811; he gained admittance to the Royal Academy. At the Academy, he fell in love with the Neo- classical art work of the Renaissance paying close attention to Michelangelo and Raphael. After observing and practicing sketches of curvatures and muscle formations, the young artist successfully created his own masterpiece, Dying 4 Hercules. Immediately, Benjamin West secured Morse’s position at the Academy and received a gold medal from the Adelphi Society. There definitely was a political statement against the British but also American Federalists with Dying Hercules. The muscles represented the strength of the young and vibrant United States that was undermined by the dubious the British and their American supporters. During Morse’s time in Britain the Americans and English were engaged in the War of 1812 and division existed within United States society over loyalties. Anti-Federalists Americans aligned themselves with the French, abhorred the British, and believed a strong central government to be inherently dangerous to democracy. As the war raged on his letters to his parents became more anti-Federalist in their tones. In one such letter Morse said, "I assert that the Federalists in the Northern States have done more injury to their country by their violent opposition measures than a French alliance could. There proceedings are copied into the English papers, read before Parliament, and circulated through their country, and what do they say of them… they call them (Federalists) cowards, a base set, say they are traitors to their country and ought to be hanged like traitors. Although Jedidah did not change his political views, he did influence Morse’s in another way. It unmistakably clear that Jedidah’s Calvinist ideas were and integral part of Morse’s other significant English piece Judgment of Jupiter. Jupiter in the cloud, accompanied by his eagle, with his hand over the parties, is pronouncing judgment. Marpessa with an expression of compunction and shame, imploring forgiveness, is throwing herself into the arms of her husband. Idas, who tenderly loved Marpessa, is eagerly rushing forward to receive her, while Apollo stares with surprisem . at the unexpectedness of her decision. A case can be made that Jupiter is representative of God’s omnipotence watching every move that is made. One might deem the portrait as a moral teaching by Morse on infidelity. Although Marpessa fell victim she realized that her eternal salvation was important and desisted from her wicked ways. Apollo shows no remorse for what he did, but just stands there with a puzzled look. A lot of the American paintings throughout the early nineteenth century had religious themes and tones and it was Morse who was the forerunner. Judgment of Jupiter allowed Morse to express his support of Anti Federalism while maintaining his strong spiritual convictions. This work represented American nationalism through Calvinism because these individuals expelled from England, contributed to the expulsion of the English (1776 and now in 1812) and established a free democratic society. West sought to present this image at another Royal Academy exhibition; unfortunately his time had run out. He left England on August 21, 1815 and began his full time career as an American painter. The years, 1815-1825, mark significant growth in Morse’s paintings as he sought to capture the true essence of America’s culture and life.