John Alsop Paine

Background

John Alsop Paine was born on January 14, 1840 in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey, United States. He was the son of Dr. John Alsop Paine and Amanda S. (Kellogg) Paine, who had previously lived in Oneida County, New York.

Education

John graduated from Hamilton College in 1859. Later he studied theology at Andover, where he was graduated in 1862. His interest in scientific research led him to study for a year (1866 - 1867) at the Sheffield Scientific School of Yale and at the Columbia School of Mines. In 1874 Hamilton College gave him the honorary degree of Ph. D. in recognition of his work.

Career

John Aslop Paine had shown a particular interest in botany, which led to his engagement by the board of regents of the University of the State of New York to report on the flora of Oneida County. The results of his study were published by the regents as Catalogue of Plants Found in Oneida County and Vicinity (1865). He was appointed professor of natural science at Robert College, Constantinople, a missionary institution which had been founded only four years previously. In preparation for his work there he was ordained to the ministry at Newark, New Jersey, on May 29, 1867. After completing his two-year term at Robert College, he spent a year in the universities of Leipzig and Halle, pursuing scientific and philological studies. From 1870 to 1871 he was professor of natural science and German at Lake Forest University, Illinois.

He returned to the East as associate editor of the Independent, a post which he held until his appointment in 1872 as archeologist and naturalist on the staff of the American Palestine Exploration Society. With this appointment, Paine's career may be said to have reached its climax. Unfortunately, his training was too scattered, and his interests too wide to permit him to take advantage of the opportunity which presented itself for a distinguished scholarly career. He seems, also, to have had difficulties with the head of the expedition, Lieutenant Edgar Z. Steever, Jr. , a recent West Point graduate. After nearly three months of waiting in Beirut, the base of operations, the expedition was finally able to begin its work in Moab (March 1873), where it continued until midsummer.

The following years were devoted to somewhat scattered journalistic work and research in various scientific and philological fields. From October 1881 to July 1884 he edited and published an ephemeral periodical known as the Journal of Christian Philosophy, and in 1887 - 1888 he was on the editorial staff of the Century Dictionary. For a time he thought seriously of specializing in ancient oriental studies, and several papers by him appeared in the Journal of the American Oriental Society between 1885 and 1889. These papers show much acuteness and critical ability, but a lack of depth. In 1889 he was appointed curator of casts in the Metropolitan Museum, a post which he held until his retirement in February 1906. During this period he spent much of his time at his home in Tarrytown, New York, pursuing researches of a miscellaneous character.

Achievements

• John Aslop Paine was known due to his scientific researches. He was an archeologist and naturalist on the staff of the American Palestine Exploration Society. In the field of archeology, he published Handbook No. 7 of the Metropolitan Museum, on its collection of plaster casts and bronze reproductions of ancient sculpture.

Works

More photos

• book

  • Catalogue of Plants Found in Oneida County and Vicinity: -1865

    (Originally published in 1865. This volume from the Cornel...)

Connections

Father:

John Alsop Paine

Mother:

Amanda S. (Kellogg) Paine

References

• General catalogue of the Theological Seminary : Andover, Massachusetts 1808-1908