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Justus Doolittle
Overview
Justus Doolittle (1824–1880) was a Hamilton College alumnus (Class of 1846) who became a Presbyterian missionary to China and a significant author on Chinese culture. Born in Rutland, Vermont on June 3, 1824, he came to Hamilton College in the fall of 1842 and graduated in 1846. He then sailed to China — a voyage of 186 days — where he spent many years as a missionary in Fuzhou. His detailed observations of Chinese daily life culminated in his book “Social Life of the Chinese,” which became an important ethnographic reference on nineteenth-century China.
Doolittle died in 1880. In 1937, his sons Alfred A. Doolittle and Justus J. Doolittle donated to the Hamilton College library a collection of Chinese documents, objects, posters, banners, and his personal journal — materials he had gathered as illustrations and source material for his book. The college put these items on display in a Doolittle Exhibit on the second floor of the library.
Relevance to Research
Doolittle is a notable example of Hamilton’s antebellum missionary tradition. His collection at the Burke Library (Hamilton’s library) represents one of the college’s most distinctive archival holdings related to nineteenth-century China. The 1937 Hamilton Life issues document both the donation of the collection by his sons and the exhibit mounted by the library, providing a detailed picture of how the college commemorated alumni missionaries. The 1942 Hamilton Life references the collection as one of the curiosities in the library’s display cases.
Notes
- Enrolled at Hamilton College beginning fall 1842; listed in the 1842–43 and 1843–44 catalogs as a student from Middlebury, Indiana
- Graduated Class of 1846 (listed in later sources as “‘46” or “et. 56” in the 1880–81 catalog)
- Sailed to China after graduation; voyage lasted 186 days
- Served as a missionary in Fuzhou, China, for many years
- Authored “Social Life of the Chinese,” a significant ethnographic study
- Died in 1880; listed in the 1880–81 catalog obituary records
- In 1937, his sons donated Chinese books, objects of worship, war posters, ceremonial banners, and his personal journal to Hamilton’s library
- The September 1937 Hamilton Life announced the gift; the November 1937 issue described the resulting Doolittle Exhibit in detail
- The 1937–38 catalog describes the library’s holdings as including “a considerable Chinese collection made by Rev. Justus Doolittle, ‘46, comprising books, objects of worship, etc.”
- The March 1942 Hamilton Life references “mementoes of Justus Doolittle’s life and work in China” among items in the library display cases
- The collection included two war posters from the Sino-Japanese War of 1894 and Chinese “thank you” banners presented to Doolittle
Related Sources
- hamilton-life-1937-09-29 — announcement of the Doolittle Collection donation
- hamilton-life-1937-11-03 — detailed description of the Doolittle Exhibit in the library
- hamilton-life-1942-03-11 — reference to Doolittle mementoes in library display cases
- yhm-arc-pub-cat-1842-43 — enrolled as student from Middlebury, Indiana
- yhm-arc-pub-cat-1843-44 — continued enrollment
- yhm-arc-pub-cat-1880-81 — listed in obituary/deceased alumni records
- yhm-arc-pub-cat-1937-38 — Chinese collection noted in library description