RIAMCO

Rhode Island Archival and Manuscript Collections Online

For Participating Institutions

Charles Lanman Papers (Mss. Gr. 10)

University of Rhode Island Library, University Archives and Special Collections

15 Lippitt Road
Kingston, RI 02881-2011
Tel: 401-874-4632

email: archives@etal.uri.edu

Scope & content

The Charles Lanman Collection consists of letters, manuscripts, and photographs, containing autobiographical information on United State Congressmen, gathered together for the purpose of writing Lanman's Dictionary of the United State Congress. It appears that Lanman sent out a circular in 1858 asking for basic biographical information, to which the Congressmen or their relatives replied. Lanman's Dictionary was issued in 1859 and revised and issued in 1869. In 1974, the University of Rhode Island purchased those materials dealing with men in Rhode Island. These were written in the time period of 1841-(1858)-1866. Also included in the collection but not part of the original accession is a letter to Charles Lanman from Walter E. Gardiner written in 1867 correcting some errors in the most recent Dictionary.