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Jacob Abbott




Jacob Abbott was born at Hallowell, Maine . He graduated from Bowdoin College in 1820 ; studied at Andover Theological Seminary in 1821 , 1822 , and 1824 ; was tutor in 1824- 1825 , and from 1825 to 1829 was professor of Mathematics and natural philosophy at Amherst College ; was licensed to preach by the Hampshire Association in 1826 ; founded the Mount Vernon School For Young Ladies in Boston in 1829, and was principal of it in 1829- 1833 ; was pastor of Eliot Congregational Church (which he founded), at Roxbury, Massachusetts in 1834 - 1835 ; and was, with his brothers, a founder, and in 1843 - 1851 a principal of Abbott's Institute , and in 1845 - 1848 of the Mount Vernon School for boys, in New York City .

He was a prolific author, writing juvenile fiction, brief histories, biographies, religious books for the general reader, and a few works in popular science. He died in Farmington, Maine , where he had spent part of his time after 1839 , and where his brother Samuel Phillips Abbott founded the Abbott School.

His " Rollo Books ", such as ''Rollo at Work, Rollo at Play, Rollo in Europe'', etc., are the best known of his writings, having as their chief characters a representative boy and his associates. In them Abbott did for one or two generations of young American readers a service not unlike that performed earlier, in England and America , by the authors of ''Evenings at Home'', ''Sandford and Merton'', and the ''Parent's Assistant''.

His brother, John Stevens Cabot Abbott , was also an author. His sons, Benjamin Vaughan Abbott , Austin Abbott , both eminent lawyers, Lyman Abbott , and Edward Abbott , a clergyman, were also well-known authors.

See his ''Young Christian'', Memorial Edition, with a Sketch of the Author by Edward Abbott with a bibliography of his works.

Other works of note: Lucy Books , Jonas Books , Harper's Story Books , Marco Paul , Gay Family , and Juno Books .


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