Worthington Chauncey Ford (1858-1941) was descended from a long line of intellectuals, including Governor William Bradford of Plymouth Colony, President Charles Chauncey of Harvard College, and the eminent lexicographer Noah Webster, so it was not surprising that he chose a career dedicated to books and learning. A pioneer in the acquisition and publication of historical documents, Ford's significance as a figure in American letters has been too-long neglected. His lifelong scholarly achievements are now profiled in this illuminating biography. Louis Leonard Tucker begins by describing how Ford's parents and family inspired his love of books and passion for American history. He then traces Ford's early career from short stints at various jobs to his political appointment as Chief of the Bureau of Statistics in the Department of State, where he launched an ambitious plan to publish and disseminate the Bureau's vast holdings of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century historical manuscripts.
Tucker describes Ford's subsequent successful tenures at the Boston Public Library and Library of Congress, and his appointment as Editor of Publications (and de facto Director) at the Massachusetts Historical Society, a pivotal move that ushered in a new era at the venerable Society. He also recounts the fratricide-suicide of Ford's brothers Paul and Malcolm, a much-publicized and scandalous family tragedy. An invaluable reference for documentary editors, historians, librarians, archivists, and researchers, this well-crafted volume restores to history the considerable contributions of the "Prince of Editors."