educator, university president, author, b. Genoa, N.Y. He graduated from Williams College, Mass. (A.B., 1849; A.M., 1852), tutored there (1852-1854), and attended Andover Theological Seminary, Mass. (1855). In 1855 he returned to Williams as professor of rhetoric, and taught there until 1874 when he was appointed president of the Univ. of Wisconsin. A leader in college education, he worked toward raising the standards of the university to the level of the eastern colleges, urging improvement in high school instruction so that the university could eliminate its preparatory department. He opposed the policy of separate classes for men and women and allowed co-educational instruction. During his administration the university opened the first Agricultural Experimental Station, and the School of Pharmacy, and built Washburn Observatory, Old Science Hall (burned 1884, rebuilt 1885), and the Library and Assembly Hall. He was consistent in his requests for more financial support of the university to attract better teachers. A believer in the new science of psychology, he lectured and wrote numerous books and articles on the subject. He was a firm believer in women's rights, defended the rights of workers to join trade unions and to strike for decent wages, and spoke for the control of monopolies and public control of wealth in the public interest. A leader in the Prohibition party, his political views were unpopular with the Board of Regents, particularly with Regent Elisha Keyes (q.v.), the Republican party "boss." The strain of constant struggle with the Board of Regents led Bascom to resign in 1887. He returned to Williams College as lecturer in sociology, and later was professor of political science until his retirement in 1903. Among his works the most important are: Science, Philosophy and Religion (1871), Science of Mind (1881), Problems in Philosophy (1885), Evolution and Religion (1897), and an autobiography, Things Learned by Living (1913). Dict. Amer. Biog.; R. G. Thwaites, ed., Univ. of Wis. (Madison, 1900); M. Curti and V. Carstensen, Univ. of Wis. (2 vols., Madison, 1949); J. Bascom, Things Learned by Living (New York, 1913); Madison Democrat, Oct. 4, 1911; Who's Who in Amer., 5(1908).

The Wisconsin Historical Society has manuscripts related to this topic. See the catalog description of the John Bascom Miscellany for details.  See also the John Bascom Sermons.

View newspaper clippings at Wisconsin Local History and Biography Articles.

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[Source: Dictionary of Wisconsin biography]