Described variously as “Boston rough,” possessing “ready-wit, a never failing flow of spirits, and a genial temperament,” and “the people’s man above any other” by those who knew him, Thomas Whittemore pursued each of his many careers with passion. He was born the fourth of ten children on January 1, 1800 in Boston, Massachusetts. After moving between multiple apprenticeships in his youth, Whittemore found his calling in 1820 in the Universalist Society. Under the guidance of Hosea Ballou 2d, a prominent Universalist figure, Whittemore quickly emerged as an energetic Universalist minister, writer, and historian. He was one of the first editors of the Universalist Magazine (later the Trumpet), wrote books on Universalist doctrine and history, and compiled collections of songs and guides to music instruction and performance in the Universalist Society.
In his publications, Whittemore strongly critiqued ideological movements within and outside of the Universalist denomination. He fiercely advocated for the separation of church and state, temperance, and education for all, and he opposed slavery and capital punishment. Famous for his combative arguments, Whittemore’s approach to political and theological discussion can be summed up with one of his favorite sayings: “Dead fish float with the tide, live ones swim against it.”
In the early 1850s, Whittemore helped found Tufts College with Hosea Ballou 2d, and he served as Vice President of the Board of Trustees. In 1858, Whittemore received a doctorate in Divinity from Tufts, becoming the first person to receive an honorary degree from the school. Whittemore also represented Cambridge in the Massachusetts State Legislature, worked as president of the Cambridge Bank and was the president of the Vermont and Massachusetts Railroad. Whittemore suffered from paralysis in the last year of his life and died March 21, 1861. After his death, his wife donated his library to Tufts University. Many of these books now are held in Tisch Library Special Collections.
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