Charles Montague Bakewell papers

Charles Montague Bakewell, professor of philosophy in Yale University and political and civic leader in Connecticut, was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on April 24, 1867, the son of Thomas and Josephine Alden (Maitland) Bakewell. He was a descendant of Benjamin Bakewell, who migrated from England to New Haven, Connecticut, in 1794, and of Timothy Alden, who founded Allegheny College. Thomas Bakewell moved with his family from Pennsylvania to California in 1886, at which time Charles transferred from the Western University of Pennsylvania to the University of California. He received his M.A. in 1891 and then continued his graduate studies at Harvard University. Having received his Ph.D in 1894, he completed his training at the Universities of Berlin, Strasbourg, and Paris between 1894 and 1896.

After teaching for one year at Harvard, Bakewell was appointed instructor in philosophy at the University of California in 1897. He came back east to teach at Bryn Mawr between 1898 and 1900, but then returned to Berkeley and remained there until 1905. In that year he was appointed professor of philosophy at Yale. He assumed the Sheldon Clark Chair three years later and held that position until his retirement in 1933. His philosophical publications were Source Book in Ancient Philosophy; editions of Plato, Emerson, William James, and Thomas Davidson; and many articles for professional philosphers and educated popular audiences. He was elected president of the American Philosophical Association in 1910.

Bakewell's interest in public service was a natural extension of his outlook as a teacher and philosopher, but he became prominent outside the academy only in the second half of his career. His 1913 lecture at the Naval War College, "Moral Training in Preparation for War," was published the following year. His article, "The Philosophy of War and Peace," appeared in The Bookman in May 1917. The following year he went to Italy as inspector and historian for the Italian Commission of the American Red Cross and he completed this assignment by publishing The Story of the American Red Cross in Italy.

Bakewell first ran for public office in 1920, when he was elected as a Republican to the Connecticut State Senate. He became chairman of the General Assembly's Committee on Education and served on the Committee on Public Health and Safety. Re-elected in 1922, he retained his chairmanship of the Committee on Education and was also appointed to the newly established Commission on Revision and Codification of the School Laws. After he left the senate, successive governors appointed him to the State Board of Healing Arts and the Commission to Investigate Pension Systems for Municipalities.

In the 1920s, Bakewell was also a civic leader. As he explained to Morris R. Cohen, "ever since my year in Italy during the War, the Italians of New Haven adopted me," (October 1923), and he frequently addressed meetings of their fraternal organizations. He was active in the Lions, helping to found the New Haven chapter and serving on the international board of directors. He also helped organize the Connecticut division of the Association Against the Prohibition Amendment, serving on the New Haven voluntary committee and the state executive committee.

Bakewell climaxed his political career by serving one term as Connecticut representative-at-large in the United States Congress. A vigorous opponent of the New Deal, he was defeated for re-election in 1934.

In 1899 Bakewell married Madeline Palmer, daughter of Henry W. Palmer, Pennsylvania attorney general and United States congressman. They had three children – Henry Palmer, Mildred Palmer (now Mrs. Richard Hooker), and Bradley Palmer. Charles Bakewell died in New Haven on September 19, 1957. He was survived by his children Henry and Mildred.