John Pickering

John Pickering (February 7, 1777 – May 5, 1846) was an American linguist, lawyer, and politician in Salem, Massachusetts. He served as president of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, from 1839 to 1846. He was elected to the American Philosophical Society. He is buried at Broad Street Cemetery, Salem.

Early life Pickering was born in 1777 in Salem, Massachusetts to Timothy Pickering and Rebecca (White) Pickering. In 1778 the family moved to Philadelphia, where the elder Pickering was serving as adjutant general of the Continental Army.

In 1780 the family relocated to New York state when the Army headquarters moved to Newburgh, New York. In May of 1783, Rebecca Pickering and her children moved back to Philadelphia due to her ill health, while her husband remained in New York. After lower level schooling, he graduated from Harvard University in 1796.

Europe In 1797, Pickering was appointed as the secretary to the United States Minister to Portugal William Loughton Smith. In 1800 he accepted the same position with Rufus King, the United States Minister to the United Kingdom.

While in Europe, Pickering amassed a valuable book collection. His book purchases eventually put him in debt and he was forced to sell 2,000 volumes at a public auction. Several hundred of these ended up in the library of Princeton College.

In 1822 he was elected a member of the American Antiquarian Society.