Ginn, Edwin

Person

Dates

Existence: 1838-02-14 -- 1910-01-20 - 1910-01-20

Biography

Abstract:

Edwin Ginn (1838-1913) Edwin Ginn was born on February 13, 1838 in North Orland, Maine to farmers James and Sarah Blood Ginn (A Leadership for Peace, 1). Ginn, who was raised according to Universalist teachings, attended Tufts College and graduated with his bachelor's degree in 1862.

Following graduation, Ginn worked for Boston-based publisher Clark, Austin and Maynard as a traveling salesman until 1866. In 1866, he started his own publishing company, at the time called Ginn Brothers, since his brother was an early partner in the company. Ginn Brothers primarily reprinted literature for use in the classroom, though later, they expanded to printing books and pamphlets related to peace, Universalist teachings and anti-war statements.

During the 1890s (p. 72), Ginn became an active advocate for peace and pacifism. He was greatly influenced by the teachings of his acquaintance, Rev. Edward Everett Hale, who was a highly active and public advocate for peace, mixing his theories with Christian teachings. Hale went to Mohonk Lake in 1894 and 1894, which was a session on world government and policy setting. Ginn's professional focus changed during a pivotal session in 1899 in which he suggested committees be formed to raise funds for peace and for the Mohonk conference (A Leadership for Peace, 76). During that time, Ginn was also began serving on the Board of Overseers at Tufts College, which was under the administration of the Board of Trustees. He served from 1898-1906, when he resigned to protest the appointment of William Hamilton as Tufts College president (Light on the Hill, 263).

Ginn was director and president of the American Peace Society from 1901-1903. He officially started the International School for Peace on July 12, 1910. The name was changed to the World Peace Foundation on Dec. 8, 1910 after Andrew Carnegie started an endowment for the school (A Leadership for Peace, 117). The schools mission was to educate all nations about the waste of war and to promote international justice and the brotherhood of man. The founddation published books and pamphlets about peace.

Ginn suffered a stroke on Dec. 15, 1913 and died of pneumonia on January 21, 1914 at his home in Winchester, Mass. Because of several donations to Tufts College over time, including a donation of his own personal collection of books from the International School for Peace, the Ginn Library at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy was named for him in 1938.

Ginn married his first wife, Clara Glover in 1896 (A Leadership for Peace, 48). They had four children:

Jessie (1872)
Maurice (1875)
Herbert (1876, died the same year)
Clara Louise (1879)

After his first wife's death in 1890, Ginn married Marguerita Francesca Grebe in 1893. They had two children: Edwin (Ned) born in 1896, and Margaret Christina (Gretchen), born in 1898 (A Leadership for Peace, 58).

Found in 2 Collections and/or Records:

Edwin Ginn : Peace Articles, 1838 -- 1914

Item — Box Volume 72

Call Number: MS076.011.072.00001

Scope and Contents From the Series:

This series contains bound copies of publications of the World Peace Foundation and their pamphlet series.

Dates: 1838 -- 1914

Found in: Tufts Archival Research Center / World Peace Foundation Records / Bound publications and pamphlets

World Peace Foundation, Formerly Known as The International School of Peace, 1911

Item — Box 181

Call Number: MS076.001.181.00002

Scope and Contents From the Series: This series contains materials produced or collected by the World Peace Foundation between 1899 and 1941. They include books, pamphlets, broadsheets, flyers, manuscripts, essays, sheet music, maps, correspondence, and minutes and agenda. The materials are organized by subject, with a numerical cataloguing system. They document the activities of the World Peace Foundation in its mission to spread the philosophy of pacifism. Most of the items date from 1912 to 1941, and deal with racial and...

Dates: 1911