Person:Daniel Van Norman (1)

Daniel Cummins Van Norman was born in Aug 17 1815. He graduated in 1838 from Wesleyan University at Middleton Connecticut. He was Principal of the "Female Department" of Upper Canada Academy (S7) which had been founded in Cobourg in 1836. In 1839 he became professor of classics and physics there. Upper Canada Academy became Victoria College in Cobourg in 1841 (the same year that Upper Canada became Canada West). He is listed as a Professor of Greek and Latin there for 1841 and 1842. In 1884 it became Victoria University and in 1892 it moved to Toronto where it became federated with the University of Toronto.

In 1844 he was ordained (S3) into the Methodist ministry. In 1845 he founded the Burlington Ladies Academy in Hamilton. In 1851 he was principal of Rutgers Female College in New York. In 1857 he established the Van Norman Institute for Ladies in New York City and was its principal until he died. He wrote a French text book (S5) in 1860 or 1866. In 1862 he received the Honorary Doctorate degree (L.L.D.) from Wesleyan University. In the 1880 census (S6) he claimed to be a 60-year-old (sic) Presbyterian minister living with his French-born, 30-year-old second wife who ran a boarding school in New York City.

Articles about him include S1, S2, S4, S8, S9, S11. His portrait was published (S10).

1.   Ontario History volume 87 (3)
   Sep 1995.

   an article by Bert Den Boggende.

2.   The National Cyclopedia of American Biography Volume 1
   p. 319, 1898.

   Biography of DC Van Norman, edited by James T. White.

3.   Cyclopedia of Canadian Methodism
   p 65.

   D. C. VAN NORMAN, M.A.: 18??-1841 R. On T., Prof. Mathematics Vic. Coll,, Cob.; 1843-1851 R. F. C. & O., Principal of Burlington Ladies Acad’y, Ham.; 1852 Rem. to N.Y.

4.   Appleton's Encyclopedia
   1886.

   VAN NORMAN, Daniel Cummings, educator, born in Nelson, Canada West, 17 August, 1815; died in New York city, 24 June, 1886. He was graduated at Wesleyan in 1838, joined the Canada Wesleyan conference the next year, and was professor of classics and physics in Victoria college, Coburg, in 1838-'45. He founded the Burlington ladies' academy, Hamilton, Ontario, in 1845, was its principal till 1851, and in the latter year assumed the charge of Rutgers female institute, New York city, which post he held till 1857. He then founded and became principal of the Van Norman institute, a school for young ladies, successfully conducting that institution until his death. He received the degree of LL. D. from Wesleyan in 1860. Late in life Dr. Van Norman left the Methodist and united with the Presbyterian church. He was secretary of the American foreign and Christian union for many years, and a member of scientific and literary bodies, and, although he held no regular pastorate, had preached more than 4,000 sermons.

5.   “The complete French class-book : embracing grammar, conversation, literature, with commercial correspondence and an adequate dictionary”
   1860 or 1866.

   by D. C. Van Norman & Louis Pujol published in New York NY by A.S. Barnes & Company (ix, 540 p. ; 22 cm. Book, 5008118 5008119)

6.   Census Manhattan, New York
   1880.

   "... C. VAN NORMAN Self M Male W 60 (sic) CAN Minister Presby CAN(sic) CAN (sic); Emeline R. VAN NORMAN Wife M Female W 30 FRANCE Boarding School FRANCE FRANCE" LDS 1254891 Film T9-0891 Page 106B.

7.   Methodists and Women's Education in Ontario, 1836-1925.

   by Johanna M. Selles.

8.   Acta Victoriana 28 (3)
   152-156, 1904 .

   “Reminiscences of Old College Professors and Old Times” by William Warren Dean.

9.   Acta Victoriana 20 (3)
   134-139, 1896.

   “Reminiscences of Victoria College” by George Hodgins

10.   Acta Victoriana 26 (4)
    307, 1903.

    “Rev. Daniel C. Van Norman LLD” portrait

11.   Acta Victoriana 28 (2):
    105, 1904.

    “George R. Van Norman” obituary