BOURNE, HENRY E. (13 Apr. 1862-19 June 1946), an expert on the French Revolution and history professor at Flora Stone Mather College, was born in East Hamburg, N.Y., son of James and Isabella (Staples) Bourne. He earned his B.A. (1883) and B.D. (1887) from Yale University. Bourne also received a L.H.D. degree from Marietta College and a L.L.D. degree from Western Reserve College. He taught history for 3 years before becoming professor of history and registrar at the four-year-old Mather College in 1892. As registrar (i.e., dean of the faculty), he raised the college's standing to one of the highest in the nation among women's colleges. Bourne also developed new teaching standards in history. Working with the American Historical Assoc., he helped establish standards for preparing all levels of history teachers, suggested material for students in the various grades, and espoused the use of primary source material at the undergraduate level, writing the standard teacher's guide, The Teaching of History and Civics in the Elementary Schools (1902). He also, in association with ELBERT J. BENTON, wrote textbooks on American history showing the interplay of American and European history. Bourne served on the Mather faculty until 1930. Between 1930-36, he was a history consultant to the Library of Congress and managing editor for the American Historical Review. He returned to Cleveland in 1936. Bourne was founder and first secretary of the Municipal League (later the CITIZENS LEAGUE OF CLEVELAND), and for 20 years president of the Goodrich Settlement. Upon his retirement, he presented the Mather College library with a valuable collection of books on the French Revolution.
Bourne married Margaret Anne Mason on 2 April 1890. They had 2 children: Margaret and Richard. Bourne died at his home in CLEVELAND HEIGHTS and was buried in Knollwood Cemetery.
Finding aid for the Henry Eldridge Bourne Papers. WRHS.
Finding aid for the Henry Eldridge Bourne Papers, Series II. WRHS.