Leavens, Robert French, 1878-1961
Biography
Robert French Leavens was born on December 20, 1878, in Arlington, Massachusetts. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1901, and received the degree of Bachelor of Sacred Theology from the Unitarian ministry at Harvard in 1906. From 1906-1908, Leavens was assistant at the Arlington Street Church, Boston. He then served as minister of the First Parish in Fitchburg, Mass., 1908-1916, First Unitarian Church, Omaha, Nebraska, 1916-1921, and the First Unitarian Church, Berkeley, California, 1921-1925. In 1937, Leavens became Associate Professor and Chaplain of Mills College, where he served until his retirement in 1937. After retirement, Leavens devoted himself to writing. He published two volumes of "Great Companions," as well as "Let Us Pray" (1939). He also worked on a biography of William Jewett Tucker under whom he had studied at Dartmouth College. Leavens had a lifelong devotion to the College for which he was recognized with the Alumni Award in 1957. Leavens died in 1961.
Found in 2 Collections and/or Records:
"Great companions, 1929" manuscript
"Great Companions, 1929" (1929). The collection contains the typescript with handwritten correction of the book "Great Companions, 1929" by Robert French Leavens. The typescript is of volume II of the book, an anthology of works of prose and poetry on religious and philosophical subjects.
Robert Leavens papers
Robert F. Leavens (1878-1961), Unitarian minister. Dartmouth College Class of 1901. The collection contains correspondence, notes, drafts, and typescripts for Leavens projected book of the speeches and writings of William Jewett Tucker and his published volume, "Dr. Tucker's Dartmouth "(1965) that was completed after his death by Arthur Hardy Lord.