History of Acton, (Middlesex County) Massachusetts United States of America

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Biographies:

James Brown, publisher, was born at Acton, Mass., May 19, 1800. His father was a captain in the revolutionary army. He obtained employment in 1815, in the family of Professor Hedge of Harvard college, wire gave him some instruction in Latin and mathematics. In 1818 he found a position in the book store of William Hillard. In 1826 he became a partner, and in 1832 a branch firm was established under the name of Brown, Shattuck & Co., which lasted until 1884. In 1837 Mr. Brown withdrew from the firm of Hillard, Gray & Co., and entered into co-partnership with Charles C. Little & Co., as Little & Brown. He made valuable gifts to the library of Harvard college and the public library of Boston, besides donating five thousand dollars to the natural history department of Harvard college. See life of James Brown, by Geo. S. Hillard (1855). He died March 10. 1855.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Henry Durant, educator, was born in Acton, Mass., June 17, 1803. He was graduated from Yale in 1827, and was a tutor there, 1829-33. He entered the ministry in 1833 and was pastor at Byfield, Mass., 1833-53. He was principal of an academy for a few months and later in 1853 went to San Francisco, Cal., settling in Oakland, where he established and became principal of a preparatory college school. In 1855 this was incorporated into the College of California, with Frederick Billings, Sherman Day, the Rev. E. B. Walsworth, Edward McLean and the Rev. Dr. Willey as trustees, and Mr. Durant, after preparing 100 pupils, was appointed in 1860 professor of Greek at the opening of the college, conducting also the classes in mental and moral philosophy. In 1868 the college became the University of California and Professor Durant was elected its first president. He resigned in 1871 and was mayor of Oakland, Cal., 1873-75. He received the degree of LL.D. from the University of Rochester in 1871. He died in Oakland, Cal., Jan. 22, 1875.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor