Special Collections Department
403 Parks Library
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011-2140

Edgar Stanton portraitRS 13/14/13
Edgar W. Stanton (1850-1920)
Papers, 1869-2011, undated


Descriptive summary

creator:

Stanton, Edgar W. (1850-1920)

title:

Papers

dates:

1869-2011, undated

extent:

0.84 linear foot (2 document boxes and 1 map case folder)

collection number:

RS 13/14/13

repository:

University Archives, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University.

 

Administrative information

access:

Open for research

publication rights:

Consult Head, Special Collections Department

preferred citation:

Edgar W. Stanton Papers, RS 13/14/13, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University Library.

 

Abstract

Edgar W. Stanton (1850-1920) was born in Waymart, Wayne County, Pennsylvania, on October 3, 1850. He graduated from the Iowa Agricultural College (Iowa State University) as a member of the first graduating class in 1872. Weeks after graduating Stanton joined the faculty at Iowa State and during his career served as Economics Department Chair, Head and Professor of the Department of Mathematics, Secretary of the Board of Trustees, Dean of the Junior College, Vice President, and four times Acting President. The collection includes news clippings relating to Edgar and Margaret Stanton, biographical material, correspondence relating to Stanton’s duties at Iowa State, diplomas, grade books from courses Stanton taught, notebooks, photographs, and memoranda concerning campus activities.

 

Biographical note

Edgar Williams Stanton was born in Waymart, Wayne County, Pennsylvania, October 3, 1850, and died at Canandaigua, New York, on September 12, 1920. He was educated at Waymart Normal Institute and Delaware Literary Institute before coming to Iowa Agricultural College in 1869 (he was a member of the first graduating class of 1872) and was the first individual to receive the diploma from Iowa State.

Stanton was elected a member of the faculty in the month of his graduation, November 1872, and served Iowa State with distinction until the day of his death. During the fifty years of his residence upon the campus he filled the positions of student, Economics Department Chair, Head and Professor of the Department of Mathematics, Secretary of the Board of Trustees, Dean of the Junior College, Vice President, and four times Acting President.

His first wife was Margaret MacDonald Stanton, Iowa State's first dean of women. When she died on July 25, 1895, she had been closely identified with the University for almost twenty-five years. Stanton wanted to establish a monument so all students and friends of Iowa State would remember her. He finally decided to purchase and have installed a chime of 10 bells in a detached tower (the ISU Campanile) on central campus.

Stanton died September 12, 1920, and his will provided that after certain bequests were taken out, the residue of his estate should be turned over to the University for furnishing a memorial to him. His second wife, Julia Wentch Stanton, and the children, decided to request that the University install 26 additional bells, thus forming a musical instrument which became known as the Edgar W. and Margaret MacDonald Stanton Memorial Carillon.

 

Collection description

The collection includes news clippings relating to Edgar W. and Margaret Stanton, biographical material, correspondence relating to Stanton's duties at Iowa State, diplomas, grade books from courses Stanton taught, notebooks, photomechanical photographs (4) of Stanton from publications, and memoranda concerning campus activities. Also of interest are some letters between the Stantons and President and Mrs. Welch from 1884 when the Welches were in Europe visiting agricultural schools.

 

Related materials

The Special Collections Department holds the following related collections:

 

Container list

Box

Folder

Title

Dates

1

1

News clippings

1895-1924

1

2

Biographical Information

1913-2007

Map

case

Memorial resolution

1920

1

3

ISU Math Dept. course listings

1899-1900

1

4

Correspondence

1894-1902

1

5

Correspondence

1903-1904

1

6

Correspondence

1905-1910

1

7

Correspondence

1911-1917

1

8

Correspondence

1918-1920

1

9

Correspondence

1920

1

10

Correspondence with Mr. and Mrs. Welch

1884

1

11

Correspondence: Family

1872-1890, undated

Map

case

Diplomas and certificates

1869-1912

2

1

Examination: Secretary, Board of Trustees

1906

2

2

Financial correspondence

1874-1899

2

3

Financial correspondence

1900-1904, undated

2

4

Grade books from teaching

1884-1893, undated

2

5

Hazing pledges

1910-1913

2

6

Campus memoranda

1911-1918

2

7

Notebooks

1883-1884; 1912-1917

2

8

Photomechanical photographs of Stanton (4) (from publications)

undated

2

9

History of Iowa State Class of 1902, written by Margaret B. Stanton

1902

2

10

Program: Questers, Margaret Stanton Chapter #310

2011