Edward Fry Bartholomew papers

Known to the past students of Augustana College as Augustana's "Grand Old Man," Edward Fry Bartholomew was born in Sunbury, Pennsylvania, 24 March 1846. His parents were of English and German heritage. The first school he attended was Freeburg Academy, Freeburg, Pennsylvania (1863). During his years at the Academy he taught district school in several places, thus earning money toward his education. At the age of nineteen (1865) he entered the Missionary Institute at Selinsgrove. This school later became Susquehanna University. In the fall of 1868, he transferred to Pennsylvania College (later known as Gettysburg College). Bartholomew received his B. A. degree from that college in 1871, graduating with high honors. He also earned his M. A. degree from Gettysburg College (1874). Upon graduation, Bartholomew decided to go West and accepted a position as principal of an academy at Clark City, Missouri. After two years, he changed to another school at Kahoka, Missouri where he served as principal.

In 1874, Carthage College in Carthage, Illinois, offered him the chair of Natural and Physical Sciences. He stayed at Carthage College until 1888 serving as a professor, and then president of the college with a brief break between 1883 and 1884. During this departure from Carthage, Bartholomew traveled to Hawaii. In the fall of 1883, he took a position as Professor of English at Mount Morris College, in Mount Morris, Illinois, which he held until 1884, when he was asked to be president of Carthage College. In the spring of 1888, he resigned from Carthage and accepted the chair in the English Literature and Philosophy departments of Augustana College and Theological Seminary. The position at Augustana College and Theological Seminary was to be his last and longest, extending over a period of 44 years. In 1894 and 1895, Bartholomew took a leave of absence and traveled to Germany to engage in study at the University of Berlin. Upon his return to teaching in 1895, Augustana conferred upon him the Ph.D. degree. Bartholomew taught steadily until 1932 when he resigned his teaching position at Augustana. Though retired, he was recalled in the spring of 1935 to teach two hours a week. He was 89 years old.

In addition to his teaching responsibilities at Augustana, Bartholomew also often offered chapel sermons or devotions on campus and was active in the community. He was widely known in the Quad Cities area as an eloquent speaker and lecturer. He authored several books, including, most notably, The Relation of Psychology to Music (1899), The Psychology of Prayer (1922), and Biblical Pedagogy (1927). He also served as pastor of five different congregations at various points in his life.

Throughout his career, Bartholomew kept in close contact with Carthage College, where he would return to give lectures or attend events. Showing its high esteem of Bartholomew, Carthage College awarded him the following honorary degrees: a Doctor of Divinity degree (D. D.) in 1888, a Doctor of Humane Letters degree (LH. D.) in 1912, and a Doctor of Law degree (LL. D.) in 1930.

Bartholomew celebrated his one hundredth birthday 24 March 1946 and received callers, though he was recovering from a stroke. He passed away a few months later, on 10 June 1946.

In 2017, in a single-elimination March Madness tournament, Bartholomew (known for his signature sideburns) was selected by the campus community as having Augustana's Best Historical Beard.