HENRY ADAMS - An address before the Bibliographical Society of the University of Virginia - May 3, 1951

Oct 13, 2026

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An address by C. Waller Barrett introduces Henry Adams as a figure shaped by public responsibility, political instinct, and a stronger artistic drive. It traces Adams’ family branding and early displacement from politics, then describes how international diplomacy and the “crucible” of policy influenced his approach to teaching and writing history. The speech follows his education and writing career, including early publication efforts, Harvard recognition, and formative encounters with major presidents and events.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages38

Reading Time59 min

AccessFree to download

Henry Adams - Address Overview

Early Life and Family Influence

Education, Writing Career, and Historical Thinking

HENRY ADAMS An address before the Bibliographical Society of the University of VirginiaMay 3,1951 by C.WALLER BARRETT of Garden City,New York HENRY ADAMS Mr.Chairman,members of the Bibliographical Society of the Uni-versity of Virginia,and guests:When Mr。Wyllie first invited me toaddress you at this meeting,the combination of the subject and the op-portunity to pay another visit to this beloved institution overcame anysense of unfitness that I had,and it was only on reflection that Ibecame aghast at my temerity in agreeing to speak to such a distinguishedand knowledgable audience.I then thought with some consolation of thequotation of Anthony Trollope which Wi1lard Thorpe of Princeton used whenhe spoke to the Grolier Club of New York at the opening of the Trollopeexhibition.Trollope was trying to find out why American audiences likedto be lectured to and,after attending a meeting where Emerson spoke to 3,000,he went to hear another speaker,whom he does not name,and wrote,"During the whole time -he did not give expression to a single thought.He went on from one soft platitude to another,and uttered words fromwhich I could defy any one of his audience to carry away with them any-thing.And yet it seemed to me that his audience was satisfied."Ionly hope that the conmonplaces about Henry Adams which I am about toinflict on you will be accorded the same charitable reception. The baby who was born in Boston on Mount Vernon Street on February 16,1838,was the grandson of one president and the great-grandson ofanother one,and he was to say later of himsel.f that "he could scarcelyhave been more distinctly branded",and that "probably no child,born inthe year,held better cards than he."So far as the branding is concerned, he never got over it,and that sense of responsibility for public affairs,that attraction to politics on a national and international scale so typi-cal of the Adams family,remained with him for life.In the game itself,he never had the opportunity to play his hereditary aces as he never tooka hand,which is not surprising in retrospect,as the strongest part ofhis nature inclined him to the life of the lover of beauty and the cre-ative artist.Psychology tells us that every tnan is a battleground ofconflicting desires and ambitions,and nowhere is this more strikinglyexemplified than in Henry Adans.It had always been bitter for any Adamsto remain on the sidelines,and the enforced retirement of his grandfather,John Quicy,from the Presidency had almost torn him loose from the anchorof his religious belief.He,too,had had an aesthetic impulse that putforth tender buds in the form of poetry,but his strong push was for poli-tics,and the former Ambassador,Secretary of State,and President,wentback to the House of Representatives to die there,literally fighting tothe last gasp.In his grandson,the stronger artistic drive preventedhim from following a far from weak desire to enter the arena of politicsand this turned out for the best as the rough and tumble would no doubthave killed off the aspiring artist locked in that ostensibly cold exterior. Nevertheless,many years were to pass before that struggling spiritof beauty was to burst forth into triumphant self-expression.In themeantime,a close proximity to the very crucible of international poli-cies with actual participation vas to leave its mark on the mind of HenryAdams,Perhaps the conflict within him led to a compromise in the teach-ing and writing of history which,in a sense,is a combination of self-expression and national events.One thing is certain;he was a born writer,and the things that appealed to his imagination inevitably foundtheir way into his own inimitable words. This bent towards writing found early expression in articles in theHarvard Magazine during his undergraduate years,and his career at Har-vard was crowned with his selection as class orator,a signal honor.Itis difficult to accept at face value his later testimony in The Educationthat the

FAQs

Who delivered the address about Henry Adams, and for what organization?

The address is delivered by C. Waller Barrett before the Bibliographical Society of the University of Virginia.

What key influences are described as shaping Henry Adams’ life and work?

The speech emphasizes inherited responsibility for public affairs and politics, later balanced by a powerful artistic drive, plus experience around international policy and historical events.

How does the address explain Henry Adams’ turn toward history writing?

It describes conflict within him leading to a compromise reflected in teaching and writing history, combining self-expression with national events, and it highlights his imagination as a driver of his distinctive wording.

Oct 13, 2026

Upload by Liam