Horace G. Wadlin (October 2, 1851 – November 5, 1925[1]), of Reading, Massachusetts, was an American statistician, economist, librarian, and architect.

Biography edit

He was born in 1851 in Wakefield, Massachusetts.[2][3] He studied architecture in Salem and in Boston, and in 1875-79 was engaged in the practice of architecture in Boston. He was appointed special agent for the Massachusetts Bureau of Statistics of Labor in 1879 and upon becoming its chief in 1888 abandoned his professional practice. He was a member of the Massachusetts legislature in 1884-88, was supervisor of the United States census in 1890 and in 1900 and also of the Massachusetts census of 1895.[3] He was also the chief supervisor of the 1890 and 1900 censuses for Massachusetts.[4][5]

He served as the chief of the Bureau of Statistics until 1906.[5][6] In 1906, he retired from the Bureau of Statistics to become the librarian of the Boston Public Library.[7][8] He announced his resignation as the librarian of the Boston Public Library in December 1916.[9][10]

Wadlin was a member of the American Economic Association, the American Social Science Association, and the American Statistical Association, serving as vice president of the latter organization.[5]

Wadlin died in November 1925 after an operation for kidney trouble.[11][12]

Architectural works edit

 
Reading Municipal Building

Several of his architectural works are listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Architectural works include:

His home at 206 Woburn Street is "one of the clearest examples of Shingle style" in the city.[14] That house is included in the NRHP-listed Woburn Street Historic District.[14]

Literary works edit

  • Reports on Statistics of Labor of Massachusetts (14 vols., 1888-1901)
  • Annual Statistics of Manufactures of Massachusetts (16 vols., 1888-1901)
  • Decennial Census of Massachusetts (7 vols, 1895)
  • The Public Library of the City of Boston: A History (1911)

References edit

  1. ^ American Library Association (1924). Bulletin of the American Library Association: A. L. A. Handbook. Chicago: American Library Association. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  2. ^ "Reading @ Large" episode with Horace G. Wadlin historian Peggy White on youtube
  3. ^ a b Rines, George Edwin, ed. (1920). "Wadlin, Horace Greeley" . Encyclopedia Americana.
  4. ^ "The Census Returns". Boston Evening Transcript. July 7, 1890. p. 2. Retrieved March 3, 2023 – via Google News Archive.
  5. ^ a b c "New Librarian For Boston: Horace G. Wadlin, a Noted Economist, Chosen by the Trustees" (PDF). The New York Times. January 10, 1903. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  6. ^ "To Succeed Carroll D. Wright: Horace G. Wadlin of Reading Appointed Chief of the Bureau of Statistics of Later--Other Appointments Made". Boston Daily Globe. August 9, 1888. p. 5. Retrieved March 3, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "The Executive Council: Col. Carroll D. Wright Resigns from Bureau of Statistics -- Horace G. Wadlin Succeeds Him -- Action in Regard to the Death Statistics". Boston Evening Transcript. August 6, 1888. p. 24. Retrieved March 3, 2023 – via Google News Archive.
  8. ^ "Horace G. Wadlin New Librarian". Boston Daily Globe. January 10, 1903. pp. 1, 4. Retrieved March 3, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Wadlin To Quit Public Library: Resigns, but Stays Until Successor Is Chosen Warm Tribute by Trustees After 14 Years as Executive Head". Boston Daily Globe. December 30, 1916. pp. 1, 4. Retrieved March 3, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Librarian Wadlin of Boston Public Library Resigns". The Christian Science Monitor. December 30, 1916.[dead link]
  11. ^ "Horace G. Wadlin Funeral Saturday: Ex-Boston Librarian Dies at Reading Home Head of State Bureau of Labor Statistics Many Years". Boston Daily Globe. Reading. November 6, 1925. p. 6. Retrieved March 3, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Ex-Librarian H. G. Wadlin Dies: He Served Boston 14 Years--Active in Reading Life". Boston Daily Globe. Reading. November 5, 1925. p. A17. Retrieved March 3, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "History and Significance of the Old Dyer Library Building". Saco, Maine. Archived from the original on May 14, 2012.
  14. ^ a b Reading MRA

External links edit