Joel Dorman Steele (May 14, 1836 – May 25, 1886) was an American educator. He and his wife

Esther Baker Steele Esther Baker Steele (, Baker; August 4, 1835 – November 23, 1911) was an American educator, author, editor, and philanthropist of the long nineteenth century. She aided her husband, Dr. Joel Dorman Steele, J. Dorman Steele in his fourteen-week B ...

were important textbook writers of their period, on subjects including

American history The history of the lands that became the United States began with the arrival of Settlement of the Americas, the first people in the Americas around 15,000 BC. Native American cultures in the United States, Numerous indigenous cultures formed ...

, chemistry,

human physiology The human body is the structure of a human being. It is composed of many different types of cells that together create tissues and subsequently organ systems. They ensure homeostasis and the viability of the human body. It comprises a head ...

physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...

astronomy Astronomy () is a natural science that studies celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and evolution. Objects of interest include planets, moons, stars, nebulae, g ...

, and

zoology Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and ...

. In the preface to his posthumous ''Popular Physics'', the publisher writes that his books "attained an extraordinary degree of popularity, due to the author's attractive style, his great skill in the selection of material suited to the demands of the schools for which the books were intended, his sympathetic spirit toward both teachers and pupils, and his earnest Christian character, which was exhibited in all his writing." Born May 14, 1836, in

Lima, New York Lima (, the name is a shibboleth) is a town in Livingston County, New York, United States. The population was 4,305 at the 2010 census. The town is in the northeast part of the county, south of Rochester. The village of Lima is located within ...

, he became a country schoolteacher at the age of 17, leaving that position after an outbreak of

typhoid fever Typhoid fever, also known as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella'' serotype Typhi bacteria. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often there is a gradual onset of a high fever over several ...

killed his mother in 1851. He graduated from Genesee College (which later became Syracuse University) in 1858, and became a school principal in

Oswego County Oswego County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 117,525. The county seat is Oswego. The county name is from a Mohawk-language word meaning "the pouring out place", referring to the point at ...

in 1859. After being seriously injured in the

American civil war The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

, he returned to a school principalship in 1862, in

Newark, New York Newark is a village in Wayne County, New York, United States, south east of Rochester and west of Syracuse. The population was 9,017 at the 2020 census. The Village of Newark is in the south part of the Town of Arcadia and is in the south of ...

, and in 1866 moved to another school in Elmira, New York. In 1872 he gave up teaching and devoted himself to full-time writing. He died in Elmira, on May 25, 1886.Biography of Joel Dorman Steele
, Chemung County Library System.

Steele is the namesake of the Joel Dorman Steele professorship at Syracuse University, currently held by A. P. Balachandran. It was announced on October 18, 2012 that Prof Mark Bowick would take over the position. The Steele Memorial Library in Elmira is also named after him; Esther Baker Steele Hall at Syracuse University is named after his wife.Esther Baker Steele Hall
Syracuse University.

Books

*''New Descriptive Astronomy'', A.S. Barnes & Company, 1869, 1884. *''Fourteen Weeks in Human Physiology'', 1872. Revised as ''Hygienic Physiology: With Special Reference to the Use of Alcoholic Drinks and Narcotics'', 1888. *''Fourteen Weeks in Chemistry'', 1873. Revised as ''Popular Chemistry'', 1887. *''Fourteen Weeks in Natural Philosophy'', 1873. *''Fourteen Weeks in Descriptive Astronomy'', 1874. Revised as ''Popular Astronomy: Being the New Descriptive Astronomy'', 1899. *''Barnes' Centenary History: One Hundred Years of American Independence'', 1875. *''The Story of the Rocks: Fourteen Weeks in Popular Geology'', 1877. *''Fourteen Weeks in Physics'', 1878. Revised as ''Popular Physics'', 1888, and ''The Chautauqua Course in Physics'', 1889. *''A Brief History of the United States'', 1880. *''A Brief History of Ancient Peoples'', 1881. *''A Brief History of Greece: With Readings from Prominent Greek Historians'', 1883. *''A Brief History Of Ancient, Medieval and Modern Peoples'', 1883, 1899. *''New Descriptive Astronomy'', A.S. Barnes & Company, 1869, 1884. *''A Brief History of Rome'', 1885. *''A Brief History of The United States'',1885. *''Popular Zoology'', 1887.

Books

References

Further reading

External links