Professor Hamilton's Diary: March 27, 1935

He gets wonderful news about his dissertation; New York Sun publisher underwrites it

Professor Hamilton is a pretty understated fellow. As such, he outlined his usual routine in the first sentences of his diary before letting loose with the big news, with much underlining! Substack won’t let me underline so I am putting his underlines in bold face.

“Received letter from Dr. Fox with news that Wm. T. Dewart, publisher of N.Y. Sun has given $500 toward publication of my book — which is now assured. I wrote letters to Fox [his faculty advisor at Columbia University] & also one to Mr. Dewart. Am delighted — wonderful luck.”

He had taken Margaret to the hospital to be with Mary Elizabeth in the early afternoon and fetched her at 5 p.m., noting that “She sat up all afternoon.”

At home, inspired by the great news, he worked on his dissertation after supper.

Professor Hamilton’s dissertation, The Country Printer: New York State, 1785-1830, was indeed published by the Columbia University Press in 1936. It is a hefty volume, 360 pages printed on high quality rag paper, telling about the small printers and their newspapers in the early decades of America.

I will be delving more into it as we go along, but today, paid subscribers can learn a bit about the New York Sun, at one time one of the country’s most respected newspapers. Click below to upgrade to paid for just 16 cents a day.

The picture of the former New York Sun building at 280 Broadway is from Wikimedia Commons.