Selim H. (Selim Hobart) Peabody (1829-1903) was born in Rockingham, Vermont, and died in St. Louis, Missouri. He was a professor of mathematics, physics, and engineering. He served as president of the University of Illinois from 1880 to 1891, of the National Council of Education from 1889 to 1891, and of the Chicago Academy of Sciences from 1892 to 1895. Peabody was chief of the department of liberal arts for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. This entailed coordinating and overseeing the exhibits in the Manufactures and Liberal Arts Building, including one on Christian Science that contained Mary Baker Eddy's writings and other Christian Science literature. He went on to serve on the United States commission to the Paris Exposition in 1900 and the division of liberal arts at the Pan-American Exposition in 1900. Peabody was also associate editor of the International Cyclopaedia and authored several books and articles on such diverse topics as American history, natural history, astronomy, mathematics, and world's fairs.

See more letters.