William Holmes McGuffey (September 23, 1800 – May 4, 1873) wasan American professor and college president who is best known forwriting the McGuffey Readers, one of the nation's first and mostwidely used series of textbooks. It is estimated that at least 122million copies of McGuffey Readers were sold between 1836 and 1960,placing its sales in a category with the Bible and Webster'sDictionary.
He was born the son of Alexander and Anna (Holmes) McGuffey nearClaysville in Washington County, Pennsylvania, which is 45 milessouthwest of Pittsburgh. In 1802 the McGuffey family moved furtherout into the frontier at Tuscarawas County, Ohio. He attendedcountry school, and after receiving special instruction atYoungstown, he attended Greersburg Academy in Darlington,Pennsylvania. Afterwards, he attended and graduated fromPennsylvania's Washington College, where he became aninstructor.
He was close friends with Washington College's President AndrewWylie and lived in Wylie's house for a time; they often would walkthe 3 miles to Washington College together.
McGuffey's house in OxfordMcGuffey left Washington College in1826 to become a professor at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Ayear later in 1827, he was married to Harriet Spinning of Dayton,Ohio, with whom he had five children. In 1829, he was ordained atBethel Chapel as a minister in the Presbyterian Church. It was inOxford that he created the most important contribution of his life:The McGuffey Readers. His books sold over 122 million copies. Hewas very fond of teaching and children as he geared the bookstoward a younger audience.
In 1836, he left Miami to become president of Cincinnati College,where he also served as a distinguished teacher and lecturer. Heleft Cincinnati in 1839 to become the 4th president of OhioUniversity, which he left in 1843 to become president of WoodwardCollege (really a secondary school) in Cincinnati.
In 1845, McGuffey moved to Charlottesville, Virginia where hebecame Professor of Philosophy at the University of Virginia. Ayear after his first wife Harriet died in 1850, he married MissLaura Howard, daughter of Dean Howard of the University ofVirginia, in 1851. McGuffey is buried in the university burialground, in Charlottesville, Virginia. The School of Education atMiami University is housed in McGuffey Hall which is named for himand his home in Oxford is a National Historic Landmark offeringtours on weekdays.