William Inglis Morse was born in Paradise, Nova Scotia on June 4, 1874. He graduated from Acadia College in 1897 and the Episcopal Theological School in 1900. Morse preached in Connecticut and Massachusetts until 1929 and then devoted himself to historical research. He collected maps, books, and manuscripts relating to Nova Scotia and Canada and donated the materials he collected to Acadia University, Dalhousie University, Harvard University, and Yale University. Morse died in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on June 4, 1952.
Published
The collection consists of manuscripts, maps, and watercolours collected by William Inglis Morse, as well as some of his personal documents and photographs.
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, it was intended to be a good basic scholar’s library. The books total 1,650 volumes. The manuscripts 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. After 1931, Morse gave no more substantial gifts of books to Acadia and starting building the collection at Dalhousie University.
Some records available digitally: http://openarchive.acadiau.ca/cdm/search/collection/Morse
Records subject to the Copyright Act.
Finding aid available: http://openarchive.acadiau.ca/cdm/singleitem/collection/acadiaAnnap/id/2379/rec/151