Clarence G. Child

Clarence Griffin Child (March 22, 1864, Newport, RI, US – September 20, 1948, Norristown, PA, US) was an American educator, scholar of medieval literature, and hobbyist mathematician who served as dean of the graduate school of the University of Pennsylvania.

Early life and education Born in Newport, Rhode Island, to Rev. William Spencer Child and Jessie Isabella Davis, Child received his undergraduate education at Trinity College, Connecticut, where he was initiated into Psi Upsilon and elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He went on to complete a master's degree at Trinity, remaining there briefly afterwards to teach mathematics, which was his long-time hobby.

Child was an assistant editor of the New Worcester's Dictionary, served on the executive committee of the Simplified Spelling Board, and was elected to the American Philosophical Society. In 1902, he was given an honorary doctor of humane letters by Trinity College and was awarded an honorary doctor of letters by the University of Pennsylvania in 1930. Child retired from active teaching in 1938 to occupy the university's John Walsh Centennial Chair of History and English Literature as emeritus professor of English.

Personal life Clarence Child married Elizabeth Reynolds on June 20, 1899, and, with her, had two children.