Bookplates

The Robert C. Waddell Memorial Book Fund

July 1, 1987

This fund was established in 1987 by the family of Robert C. Waddell, Class of 1934, for the purchase of books in the fields of English writing, language, and literature.

Bob Waddell came to Hamilton from Deerfield Academy in 1930. He followed in his father’s (a member of the Class of 1900), joining Alpha Delta Phi fraternity. His academic focus was in English literature, and he was actively involved with the College’s student publications. He served as editor-in-chief of both Hamilton Life and the Hamiltonian.\

Following graduation, he continued his studies in English at Columbia University, earning a master’s in English in 1935. Subsequently, he returned to Hamilton twice to teach freshman English composition. Inbetween stints on the Hill, he served as an interim instructor in English at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He returned to Columbia in 1942 as an associate in English. Additionally, he worked as a freelance editor and, in the 1970s, as a writer-editor for a Union, NJ- based engineering firm, T.C. Gams & Associates. In 1951, he published Grammar and Style, which was used as a Hamilton textbook for many years.