Biography of
Samuel Swain MitchellS. S. MITCHELL, son of Matthew and Susan Swain Mitchell, both of Nantucket families, was born September 8, 1840, in Hudson, New York. He completed his preparation for college in the private school of Rev. Mr. Bradbury, of Hudson, and entered our Class in September, 1859. In college, Mitchell was associated with several of the voluntary societies: 'Logian Literary Society; a disputant in the Adelphic Union debate, March, 1863; Williams Art Association; Williams Quartet Society; Society of Natural History; Mills Society; also toastmaster at our Biennial Celebration; a member of the committee on songs, Class Day; and during Senior year on the editorial board of the Williams Quarterly.
During the summer vacation, 1864, while in the seminary, Mitchell saw service in the army as an agent of the Christian Commission. After taking his theological course in the theological seminaries in Auburn, New York, and New York City, he entered the ministry of the Presbyterian Church and went to Syria, with the intention of giving his life to missionary work under the American Board of Foreign Missions; but ill health due to chronic dyspepsia, a troublesome affliction during college days, compelled a return to his native land. Ministerial work in Wisconsin was attempted later, but eventually our classmate was driven to the abandonment of his chosen profession.
April 3, 1867, Mitchell married Miss Lucy Myers Wright, daughter of Rev. Arthur Wright, M.D., a missionary at Oroomiah, Persia, and his wife, Catherine Myers. Mrs. Mitchell was a lady of fine literary and artistic tastes. In 1883, she published a work of decided merit on the "History of Ancient Sculpture," with numerous illustrations; also a series of articles upon Greek sculpture, in the Century Magazine. In this work our classmate was able to give efficient aid in the preparation of the illustrations. Mrs. Mitchell died March 10, 1888. They had no children.
Our classmate, in being obliged to give up his profession, having wisely reached the conclusion that his health would be a constant and increasing obstacle to successful labor in it, chose the occupation of an artist, hoping in this way to find a field suited to his activity. This has proved the case, and he has attained some degree of proficiency in the use of his brush. During the large portion of the years since our Class left college, Mitchell has lived abroad, and is a good type of the cosmopolitan man. He has resided in nearly every country in Europe except Russia, and in Egypt and Syria.
I am sure the Class will most thoroughly appreciate the concluding section of our old college associate's story if given in his own words, and I know I voice the unanimous sentiment in the thought that the concluding words mean the possibility of meeting him at the coming reunion, after thirty years' sojourn in far countries:
"In the year 1888, I was bereaved by the loss of my wife, and since that event life has lost a great part of its worth to me; but it has nevertheless been a busy one, and some have even gone so far as to remark upon my assiduity. I have received no academic honors or degrees, belonged to no clubs, held no official positions. I have published no books or pamphlets, with the exception of a series of letters, occasionally, in the New York Times, reviewing the arch‘ological publications of Germany and Italy. My long sojourn in foreign countries has brought with it a knowledge of modern languages, and as far as my leisure would permit, aside from my painting, I have been able to occupy myself to some extent, although not exhaustively, with the literary productions of the various countries. At present I am living in Spain, interested in the language of the country, and happen to have just concluded the first volume of Don Quixote.' The language is difficult and the pronunciation especially so. With regard to my artistic work, the field of art is so broad and the mastery of all its branches being an impossibility, I have for some time occupied myself mainly in studying and copying the architectural monuments of the various countries I have been in, e.g., the temples of Egypt and the Greek temples in southern Italy: namely, those in Paestum, near Naples, and Girgenti, in Sicily. I have been occupied more recently with the cathedrals of Italy, Germany, France, and, at present, with those of Spain. During the short time that I have been in the country, I have copied the fa‡ade of the magnificent cathedral at Burgos, in northern Spain, and am at present working in the cloister of San Juan dellos Reyes, at Toledo, one of the glories of Gothic architecture of Spain. I am more and more impressed by the inexhaustible treasures in art and literature which the ancient civilizations of the world afford, and I am alternately spurred on by the inspiring influences which surround me, and depressed by a sense of the utter inadequacy of any efforts. If you should not see me at the reunion in 1903, I beg you to give my good wishes to the Class.
"Yours cordially,
"S. S. MITCHELL."
Source: Class of Sixty-Three Williams College Fortieth Year Report, by the Class Historian, Thomas Todd Printer, Boston, 1903