Talk:William Barton Rogers

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Higher education

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Recent edit

An edit today removed most of the following text:

Longing for a more stimulating intellectual atmosphere and for other reasons, Rogers tendered his resignation from UVA in 1848, but was persuaded to remain at that time. In 1849, he married Emma Savage of Boston.[ref] Eventually, he resigned permanently in 1853, over disagreements about educational policy, and dismayed by the continuing dependence of the Virginia economy on slavery.

The reference is to the Dictionary of American Biography (1935), which I don't have ready access to. From my own reading, I have the impression that Rogers had strong personal views against slavery, and his discomfort with its prevalence in Virginia and the attitudes of the landed aristocracy towards all their "inferiors" were factors in his decision to leave. The attempted resignation in 1848, and his final resignation in 1853 reflect some level of anguish over his continuance at UVA. I don't have any references at hand, except Mind and Hand: the Birth of MIT, whose index does not even mention the word "slavery". I will try to read what it says about the reasons behind Rogers' move to Boston, but I welcome input from other editors on the question, especially if WP:RS can be found.

Also, the lede was edited to de-emphasize Rogers' key role in conceiving of, advocating for, and implementing the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which really was his most significant and lasting achievement. Comments? Reify-tech (talk) 17:18, 20 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Support of Charles Darwin

It appears that Rogers was repeatedly a public supporter of the evolutionary theories of Charles Darwin, based at least in part on his own observations of fossils. In the current state of the article, the only mention of "Darwin" is the middle name of his brother, Henry. It seems clear that there are still significant gaps in the article's coverage of this dedicated and insightful scientist and educator. Reify-tech (talk) 18:23, 20 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]