# William McGuffey

## Biography

William Holmes McGuffey was an American educator and minister, born in Pennsylvania on September 23, 1800. His family, with strong convictions about education and religion, moved to Ohio when he was young. McGuffey displayed a remarkable aptitude for learning, becoming a "roving instructor" at a young age before pursuing formal education, ultimately graduating from Washington College. He began his distinguished career as a professor of ancient languages and moral philosophy at Miami University. Later, he served as president of Cincinnati College, Ohio University, and Woodward College.

McGuffey is best remembered as the author of the immensely popular McGuffey Readers, a series of elementary school textbooks first published in 1836. These readers, which sold over 120 million copies by 1960, profoundly influenced American education by integrating spelling, speech, and moral lessons with literary selections. He was also an ordained Presbyterian minister, a passion he maintained throughout his life. McGuffey concluded his career as a professor of philosophy at the University of Virginia, where he remained until his death on May 4, 1873.

## Books

- [McGuffey's First Eclectic Reader, Revised Edition](https://samolit.com/books/96552)