William Andrus Alcott, known as William Alexander Alcott, was an American educator, educational reformer, physician, vegetarian and author of 108 books.
23 Facts About William Alcott
2.
William Alcott's mother was Anna Andrus who was the daughter of a Revolutionary War soldier and William's most important educational influence.
3.
Odell Shepard had written of Amos Bronson Alcott, "Indeed there is a sense in which nearly everything Alcott wrote and did is attributable to William".
4.
William Alcott was known to walk barefoot in summer mornings from his home in the village up to Federal Hill to obtain a bucket of milk.
5.
At the age of 18 William Alcott began teaching in a school located just a few yards from his father's house.
6.
William Alcott observed that the benches used by students were often painful and, at his own expense built backs onto the benches; these became the ancestors of the later school desks.
7.
William Alcott campaigned for better heating and ventilation in schools.
8.
William Alcott labored to improve the intellectual content of classrooms.
9.
William Alcott would suffer symptoms of both for the remainder of his life.
10.
William Alcott began studying medicine, with the thought that the extra knowledge would aid his teaching.
11.
William Alcott wrote many articles for the journal, especially those dealing with school design and physical education.
12.
William Alcott became one of the most prolific authors in early American history.
13.
William Alcott wrote frequently on the topics of education and health.
14.
William Alcott opposed the consumption of alcohol, coffee, meat, spices and tea.
15.
William Alcott argued against the use of condiments which were "stimulating" substances.
16.
William Alcott rejected the use of ginger, fennel, cardamom, mace, nutmeg and coriander.
17.
William Alcott believed that garlic, horseradish, molasses and sauces were disgusting and indecent "drugs".
18.
William Alcott warned young people of the dangers of courtship.
19.
William Alcott is criticized by modern-day feminists for his "rigidity".
20.
William Alcott edited the Moral Reformer in Boston, a journal dedicated to eliminating intemperance, gluttony and licentiousness.
21.
William Alcott was the editor of the vegetarian Library of Health journal.
22.
William Alcott was a founding member of the American Physiological Society in 1837, America's first vegetarian organization.
23.
William Alcott was a founding member and the first president of the American Vegetarian Society.