Student mathematical notebook of William Emerson Faulkner, 1795

Leather hardcover notebook with unruled pages containing the handwritten mathematical exercises of William Emerson Faulkner, begun in 1795 while he was an undergraduate at Harvard College. The volume contains rules, definitions, problems, drawings, and tables on geometry, trigonometry, surveying, calculating distances, sailing, and dialing. Some of the exercises are illustrated by unrefined hand-drawn diagrams, including some of buildings and trees.

Elements of Geometry-- Plain Geometry-- Plain Trigonometry-- Oblique Angular Trigonometry-- Conic Sections-- Surveying-- Mensuration of Heights and Distances-- Plain Sailing-- Parallel Sailing-- Middle Latitude Sailing-- Mercator's Sailing-- Oblique Sailing-- Dialing-- Spherical Geometry

Title supplied by cataloger. Received in the Harvard College Library on November 1, 1940 with Fine money.

The Harvard University Archives holds similar late 18th century mathematical notebooks by students Ephraim Eliot (HUC 8779.353), Samuel Griffin (HUC 8784.353), Ebenezer Hill (HUC 8782.353), William Tudor (HUC 8795.353.88), and Thomas Noyes (HUC 8793.353).

William Emerson Faulkner (1776-1804), a Massachusetts lawyer, was born on October 23, 1776 in Acton, Mass. He received an AB from Harvard in 1797 and an AM in 1800. Faulkner practiced law in Brookfield, Mass. until his death on October 1, 1804.