WRA Social Science Department faculty member Dr. Erik Chaput has added to his portfolio of published work with a thoughtful history of Newport, RI Post Civil War-Era businessman George T. Downing. A frequent contributor to The Providence Journal, Dr. Chaput is well-versed in the long and rich history of the Ocean State. 

The piece is co-written with Russell J. Simone, an independent historian. Simone and Dr. Chaput are longstanding colleagues. The Dorr Rebellion Project Site, sponsored by Providence College, has named both men Historians in Residence. They also have collaborated as editors of the Letters of Thomas Wilson Dorr and the Letters of John Brown Francis. 

George Downing, a friend of fellow abolitionists and activists Frederick Douglass and John Brown—a Hudson resident, worked in Post Civil War-era Rhode Island to abolish segregation, especially in the public education system. His influence is still felt today. 

You can read more about George T. Downing and the rest of the article here. Western Reserve Academy is fortunate to have educators actively engaged in research and publication, enriching the learning experience well beyond our campus!