James Richard Rutland

James Richard Rutland

James Richard Rutland, 1879-1948

• Father: John Blake Rutland b. August 1851, d. 2 February 1918
• Mother: Eugenia Agnes Askew b. 21 February 1855, d. 11 January 1911

• James Richard Rutland was born on 8 November 1879 in Chambers County, Alabama, near Fredonia.
• John Blake Rutland and Eugenia Agnes Askew appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1880 in Hickory Flat, Chambers County, Alabama, enumerated next to John's parents.. Other members of the household included James Richard Rutland, Frances Elizabeth Chivers.
• The following appeared on 16 June 1899 in The Age-Herald: (Auburn, June 13) The closing of the twenty-seventh commencement of the Alabama Polytechnic Institute was witnessed yesdaday by an immense audience. . . The honor students are as follows: In the junior class courses: . . . general course, James Rutland, Chambers county. . .
• John Blake Rutland and Eugenia Agnes Askew appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1900 in Lanette, Chambers County, Alabama. Other members of the household included James Richard Rutland, William WATSON Rutland, Jesse Blake Rutland, Henry Thomas Rutland, Ransom Eugene Rutland, Frances Susan Rutland and Frances Elizabeth Chivers.
• He married Hulda Mary Horton, daughter of Robert Lionel Horton and Hulda Augusta Boyd, on 22 June 1910 in Birmingham, Jefferson County, Alabama.
• The following appeared on 8 August 1912 in The Montgomery Advertiser: Vol. 1--August, 1912--No. 1. Auburn Alumni Quarterly. It reads just that way across the top of the front cover of a thirty-two page booklet that has been received in The Advertiser ofice. On its editorial page is found this: James R. Rutland, Editor-in-Chief; B. L. Shi, Business Manager, Executive Committee: B. B. Ross, B. L. Shi, J. V. Denson, E. T. Collier. /P/ The booklet talls all--nearly all--about the Alabama Polytechnic Institute and its alumni. . . . /P/ "With this issue, the Auburn Alumni Quarterly makes its first appearance," quoting from an editorial. "With much enthusiasm and little cash, it starts out with a high purpose of strengthening all those ties that bind Auburn men to the college and to each other. It will print news about the college and about the alumni all over the world, and will be an open forum for the discussion of all questions engaging the thoughts of sons of Auburn."
• The following appeared on 29 March 1915 in The Montgomery Advertiser: The Alabama Association of Teachers of English will hold its second annual meeting in Montgomery, April 1, 2, 3. The Association will meet as an independent department of the Alabama Educational Association.
       The program for the second annual meeting includes the names of some of the most prominent educators in the country . . .
       . . . President's Address-- James R. Rutland, Alabama Polytechnic Institute, Auburn. . . .
• James Richard Rutland registered for the draft on 12 September 1918 in Lee County, Alabama, while living with his wife Hulda in Auburn, and teaching there at Alabama Polytechnic Institute.
• He served in the military during World War I, according to the 1930 census.
• He applied for a passport on 10 April 1919 while living in Auburn, Lee County, Alabama. A letter of recommendation by Carl H. Milam, Acting General Director of the American Library Association, dated 24 April 1919, is appended to the application: "Referring to our communication of August 21, 1918, with its enclusures, we beg to ask that a passport be issued to Mr. James Richard Rutland who is to serve as one of our librarians on the transports bringing our troops from France. The application of Mr. Rutland, together with the necessary photographs and certificate of birth, is hereto attached. Mr. Rutland is a teacher in the Alabama Polytechnic Institute, and served for three months as Camp Librarian at Camp Beauregard. We can unreservedly recommend him to your favorable consideration."
• James Richard Rutland and Hulda Mary Horton appeared in the US federal census of 1 January 1920 in Auburn, Lee County, Alabama. Other members of the household included James Richard Rutland Jr., Robert Horton Rutland, Hulda Rutland and Frances Susan Rutland.
• He was a college professor, according to the 1920 census.
• The following appeared on 21 May 1920 in The Montgomery Advertiser: Dr. James Rutland of the Alabama Polytechnic Institute, at Auburn, Ala., Regional Director for the State of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Tennessee in the American Library Association's "Books for Everybody" Campaign on yesterday announced the appointment of Peter A. Brannon of the Alabama State Department of Archives and History as Director for this State. Mr. Brannon will assume charge of the work at once and put on an active campaign which he hopes to conclude by July 15. He will announce three assistant State Direcotrs in the course of the next few days and name a local director in each county.
       This enlarged program of the American Library Association is a national effort to contimue the service tocontinue the service of this organization, which was begun during the war. The promulgation of the library idea throughout the country and the extension of library services to include every community in the country, is one important feature of the program. It is proposed to give the seventy million people in the United States who do not have access to collections of books or to public reading rooms a better opportunity.
• The following appeared on 3 September 1920 in The Montgomery Advertiser: The resignation of Prof. James R. Rutland as editor in chief of the Auburn Alumnus was accepted with regret. Prof. Rutland has been editor of the college magazine since it was established eight years ago, but finds that his college duties are now too heavy to continue the work. Secretary Gilbert was elected to the place. . . .
• James Richard Rutland became a widower at the 4 August 1928 death of his wife Hulda Mary Horton.
• James Richard Rutland appeared in the US federal census of 1 April 1930 in Auburn, Lee County, Alabama. Other members of the household included James Richard Rutland Jr., Robert Horton Rutland and Hulda Rutland.
• He was a college professor, according to the 1930 census.
• James Richard Rutland appeared in the US federal census of 1 April 1940 in Auburn, Lee County, Alabama. Other members of the household included Hulda Rutland and Henry Thomas Rutland. In 1935, Henry was living in Decatur, Georgia.
• He was a college English professor, according to the 1940 census.
• James Richard Rutland died on 13 January 1948 at age 68 in Auburn, Lee County, Alabama.
• He was interred at Pine Hill Cemetery, Auburn, Lee County, Alabama.
• The following appeared on 15 January 1948 in The Anniston Star: (Auburn) Funeral services were scheduled today for Prof. James Richard Rutland, 68, head of the Alabama Polytechnic Institute English Department for 20 years.
       He died at his home Tuesday night after an illness of two months.
       A native of Fredonia, Ala., he was graduated from Auburn in 1900 and joined the faculty in 1904. He was head of the English Department from 1927 to Jan. 1, 1947.
• Biographical Sketch from the guide to the Auburn University James Richard Rutland Collection (RG 70):
       James Richard Rutland, son of John Blake and Eugenia (Askew) Rutland, was born in Fredonia., Alabama in 1879. He received a Bachelor (1900) and Master of Science degrees (1901) from Alabama Polytechnic Institute; a Bachelor of Arts degree (1903-1904) from Harvard, and did further study (summers 1908-1910) at the University of Chicago. He taught at API between 1900 and 1901, was principal of Wylam School in Alabama from 1901 to 1902), and taught at Memphis Military Institute from 1902 to 1903. Returning to API, he taught English and Math from 1904 to 1905, served as librarian from 1905 to 1915 and also as associate professor of English between 1908 and 1912. In 1913, he directed the first summer school program at API. His professional activities also included president of the Alahama Association of English Teachers, county high school board inspector, member of the Alabama reading circle, and vice-president of the Alabama Library Association. He edited Irving's Tales of a Traveler and the Auburn Alumnus, and wrote Old Testament Stories. Community activities included membership in Knights of Pythias, Democratic Party, Methodist Church, and founder of Auburn Little Theater. He died in Auburn in 1948.
       The collection consists of correspondence, newspaper clippings, photographs, scrapbooks, lecture and research notes, genealogocal information, Alabama Polytechnic Institute English Department records, pamphlets and miscellaneous materials produced or acquired by James Richard Rutland. Most of the items in the collection relate to Rutland's career as Professor of English at Auburn.

• Last Edited: 5 Jun 2015