Collection of autographs and letters, created by Josiah Little Pickard and his daughter Fanny Jollyman. Most of the letters are addressed to Pickard, but there are several addressed to Jollyman, indicating that perhaps this was her collection of autographs to which her father was contributing.

Josiah L. Pickard served as the sixth president of the State University of Iowa, from 1878 to 1887. A leading educator and administrator, Pickard assumed the presidency after heading the public school system in Chicago. He also was a devoted student of history, serving as president of the State Historical Society of Iowa for nearly 20 years. Pickard, a native of Maine, graduated from Bowdoin College in 1844 and served as principal of Platteville (Wisconsin) Academy until 1860. That year, he was selected Wisconsi's state superintendent of public instruction, a position he held until 1864, at which time he began a 13-year stint as Chicago's superintendent of schools. During Pickard's presidency at Iowa, two departments--later to become colleges--were added: dental and pharmaceutical. Course offerings in the remaining four departments were expanded, and he advocated raising teaching standards and academic requirements. From 1881 until 1900 he was president of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and retired from active teaching in 1889. Pickard was born in Rowley, Massachusetts, on March 17, 1824. In his later years he lived in Cupertino, California, and passed away in March 1914.

1 scrapbook

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The album has been photographed and is available to view online. Access to the original is restricted to researchers.