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Overview
Francis Marion Burdick (1845–1920) was a Hamilton College alumnus (Class of 1869) who became one of the leading American law professors of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. A native of De Ruyter, New York, he delivered the Classical Oration at his 1869 commencement. After graduation he returned to Hamilton as a faculty member, holding the Maynard-Knox Professorship of Law, History, Civil Polity, and Political Economy from 1882. He later became a professor at Cornell Law School before joining Columbia Law School, where he held the Dwight Professorship of Law for approximately twenty-five years. He served as Mayor of Utica in 1882 before moving fully into academic law.
Burdick was awarded both an A.M. and LL.B. and was recognized as a noted authority on many branches of law. He is cited in Hamilton Life in 1909 as a vice president of the New York alumni association and in 1916 as retiring from Columbia after a distinguished career.
Relevance to Research
Burdick’s trajectory — from Hamilton student, to Hamilton faculty, to Cornell, to Columbia — illustrates the college’s role in producing nationally significant legal scholars in the late nineteenth century. His tenure in the Maynard-Knox Professorship (1882–mid-1880s) is documented across multiple Hamilton catalogs, and his retrospective mentions in Hamilton Life underscore his lasting reputation among alumni.
Notes
- Graduated Hamilton College, Class of 1869; home: De Ruyter, New York
- Delivered the Classical Oration at the 1869 commencement exercises
- Awarded A.M. in 1872-73 by Hamilton (listed in the 1872-73 catalog as receiving the A.M. in course)
- Appointed Maynard-Knox Professor of Law, History, Civil Polity, and Political Economy in 1882
- Held that chair at Hamilton through at least 1886-87 (listed in catalogs 1882-83 through 1886-87)
- Also served as College Librarian during part of his Hamilton tenure (designated “and Librarian” in 1885-86 and 1886-87 catalogs)
- Served as Mayor of Utica in 1882
- Moved to Cornell Law School after leaving Hamilton
- Appointed Dwight Professor of Law at Columbia Law School; held that position for approximately 25 years
- Described in Hamilton Life (1916) as “the second oldest member of the Columbia Faculty” and “a noted authority on many branches of law” at the time of his retirement
- Vice President of the Hamilton College Alumni Association of New York City, listed in Hamilton Life (1909)
- Degrees: A.M. (Hamilton); LL.B.
Related Sources
- yhm-arc-pub-cat-1868-69 — listed as student; designated for Classical Literature prize
- yhm-arc-pub-cat-1869-70 — Classical Oration at commencement; listed as graduating Class of 1869
- yhm-arc-pub-cat-1872-73 — listed among A.M. recipients
- yhm-arc-pub-cat-1882-83 — first listing as Maynard-Knox Professor of Law, History, Civil Polity, and Political Economy
- yhm-arc-pub-cat-1883-84 — listed as professor; shown teaching law and other courses
- yhm-arc-pub-cat-1884-85 — continued as Maynard-Knox Professor
- yhm-arc-pub-cat-1885-86 — listed as Maynard-Knox Professor and Librarian
- yhm-arc-pub-cat-1886-87 — listed as Maynard-Knox Professor and Librarian
- hamilton-life-1909-01-23 — named as vice president of NY alumni association
- hamilton-life-1916-01-18 — announcement of retirement from Columbia; career summary
Related Topics
- faculty-history — holder of the Maynard-Knox Professorship in the 1880s