The Biographical Dictionary of America/Bascom, John

​BASCOM, John, educator, was born in Genoa, N.Y., May 1, 1827. He was graduated from Williams college in 1849, and in 1854 entered the theological seminary at Andover, where he was graduated in 1855. For the following nineteen years he occupied the chair of rhetoric at Williams college, leaving to accept the position of president of the University of Wisconsin, which he filled from 1874 until 1887. He was in 1896 professor of political economy at Williams college. His published works arc chiefly on philosophic and religious themes. He warmly defended the intuitive philosophy, accepting, however, many modifications arising from our enlarged physical knowledge. His principal service as a worker and educator lies in this direction. His books include: "Political Economy" (1859); "Esthetics" (1862); "Philosophy of Rhetoric" (1865); "Principles of Psychology" (1869); "Science. Philosophy and Religion" (1871); "Philosophy and English Literature" (1874); "A Philosophy of Religion" (1876); "Comparative Psychology" (1878); "Ethics" (1879); ​"Natural Theology" (1880); "Science of Mind" (1881); "The Words of Christ" (1884); "Problems in Philosophy" (1885); "Sociology" (1887); "The New Theology" (1891); "Historical Interpretation of Philosophy" (1893); "Social Theory" (1895), and "God and His Goodness" (1901.)