William Inglis Morse

William Inglis Morse (1874-1952) was educated at the Horton Collegiate Academy and received a B.A. from Acadia in 1897. After moving to the United States, he continued his education. He received a Doctor of Letters from Acadia in 1926, an Hon. L.L.D. from Dalhousie in 1939, and a D.D. from King's (Halifax) in 1947. Morse was a philanthropist whose financial contribution continues to provide an annual assistantship to an Acadia student in Honours or Graduate work in History and English. He was also a writer. For example, in 1935, he wrote Acadiensia Nova, being two volumes about unknown and unpublished documents relating to Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Maine [SPMORS]. A number of his other works are located in Special Collections. The Morse Collection was originally housed in a separate room in University Hall and came to the Library when the present library building was finished in 1965. When the Collection came to Acadia between 1927 and 1931, it was intended to be a good basic scholar's library. The books alone total 1,650 volumes. The manuscripts in the Archives are mainly those of 19th century English and American authors or political figures and the documents relate to Nova Scotia dating from the 18th and early 19th centuries. The maps and watercolours were collected by William Inglis Morse. Some of his personal documents and photographs are also in the Archives.