Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1905-02-10
Professor William Wells Eaton.

Z
The death of Professor William Wells
Eaton brings sad loss to the college of
whose faculty he was for twenty-five
years a member and to the community
with whose best interests he was in many
ways so closely identified. Mr. Eaton
was born at Colchester, Conn, Aug. "a,
1876 the son of James Stewart and
Louisa (HowardD Eaton; his father was
the author of the Eaton series of mathe-
matical textbooks. He was fitted for
college at Phillips Andover and entered
Amherst in 1864. His college record
was scholarly, including prizes in Greek,
Physics, and Mathematics, and the
Woods Prize for general excellence; he
graduated in 1868, member of Phi
Beta Kappa, and valedictorian. His
college fraternity was Psi Upsilon.
After graduation, Mr.. Eaton taught
for one year in Monson Academy
before entering Andover Theological
Seminary, where he remained two years,
1S69-1S71. Two years of teaching in
Phillips Andover, 1S711S73, were fol-
lowed by three years of study in classical
and comparative philology in Goettingen
and Leipsic. Returning home in 1876,
he served as Assistant to the Associate
Professor of Sacred Literature, Andover
Theological Seminary from 1877 to 1880.
For the next two years he was engaged
fThpNar i1 aBif
Thayers New Testament Greek Lexicon,
and in the fall of 1889 entered ON his
final worl. rs Professor of Greek in Mid
dlebury College. From 1884 to 1894 ne
from 1894 until his death, Professor of
Greek Language and Literature. In June,
1903. years leave of absence was voted
him 10y the Trustees, in the hope that his
evidently failing strength might be
restored. and a second year was added
at the Commencement of 1904. He
continued to fail, however and before his
return last summer from twelve months
stay abroad it was evident that all hope
of his recovery was to be unfulflled.
Death came to him at White Plains, n.
Y, on Wednesday, Feb. /. The funeral
services were at Andover on Feb. 3, and
were participated in by President Brain
erd and the Rev. Thomas Simms.
In his relations to the community, the
church, and the college, Mr.. Eaton was
pattern of una ssuming strength, caution
int
ingly joined in his nature with an almost
eager openness to new impressions. His
service as member of the board of
grammar school directors was long and
helpful, and few citizens were as faithful
as he in attendance upon town and vii
lage meetings and in intelligent watch
fulness for the common good. Equally
faithful was his service in the Congrega-
tiOnal Church, where as deacon, as Sun
day-sChool teacher and superintendent,
and as member of its financial boards he
did work whose value is an index of
his worth. 1t was however, in the field
of his college labors that his powers were
most admirably shown. AS teacher and
as counsellor his impress was deep and
abiding; his pupils interests were his
own and he gave them ungrudgingly of
his best. A student estimate of several
years ago will be gratefully subscribed
to by all who came under his instruction.
"He is familiar with many phases of
educational life, with a resulting breadth
of view not often seen among those of
his profession. There is abundant
evidence of his training in the character
of his classroom work. There are wide
outlooks and modern methods and
sympathy with all that is freshest in the
field of Greek scholarship, together with
minute accuracy and conscientiousness
of detail. Professor Eaton's courses are
never dull; Greek history and Greek life
cannot fail of living interest when the
man under whom they are studied has
stood on the plain of Marathon and lived
for season in the very shadow of the
Acropolis."
Mr.. Eaton was married Dec. 30, 1885,
to Mary Myers Wright. and their home
was ever the center of genuine, cordial
hospitality. The social side of his nature,
indeed, was most attractive. Though far
from being a demonstrative man, and
inclined, 1t may be, toward reserve, his
friendships were deeply rooted and his
love of companonship marked His
enjoyment of nature and of exercise,
always keen, did not lessen with the
years. Walking, skating, bicycling were
his delights; while the study of birds
and the practice of photography went
naturally with his love of out-of-doors.
1t was, in short, a rich and varied nature
that is here imperfectly sketched; its
quiet and cear-sighted devotion to all
good interests was an uplifting force iiN
Aliddlebury life. y