HADLEY, James. Fairfield NY 30.3.1821 — New Haven CT 14.11.1872. U.S. Classical (Greek) Scholar also interested in Sanskrit and IE. Professor in New Haven. Son of James H., Professor of Chemistry, and Maria Hamilton, educated in Fairfield and at Yale (B.A. 1842). In 1843-44 studies at Yale Divinity School. In 1845-48 Tutor of Greek, from 1848 Assistant Professor and in 1851-72 Professor of Greek at Yale (1865-68 on leave because of illness). Married 1851 Anne Loving Twining, their son Arthur Twining H. became President of Yale University. His brother, Henry Hamilton H. (1826–1864) was Professor of Hebrew at Yale.

Hadley was appreciated because of his wide knowledge, although more as a teacher than productive scholar. He was a specialist in Greek and Roman law. Friend of Whitney, with whom he learned Sanskrit from E. E. Salisbury in 1849-50. In addition, he also knew several Semitic and Celtic languages.

Publications: “The forms of Greek substantive verb”, JAOS 2, 1851, 249-256 (compared with Sanskrit); “On the aspirate mutes of the primitive Indo-European Language”, PAOS for 1860-62 in JAOS 7, 1862, lvi; “On the nature and theory of the Greek accent”, TAPA 1, 1869-70, 1-19, also published in German transl. in Curtius’ Beiträge; some further articles.

– Greek Grammar for Schools and Colleges. 12+422 p. N.Y. 1860.

– Essays Philological and Critical, Selected from the Papers of J.H. Ed. by W. D. Whitney. 6+424 p. N.Y. 1873; Introduction to Roman Law. Ed. by T. D. Woolsey. 8+333 p. N.Y. 1873.

– Diary 1843–1852 of J.H., Tutor and Professor of Greek in Yale College 1845–1872. Ed. by Laura Hadley Moseley. 12+334 p. New Haven & L. 1951.

Sources: Who Was Who in Am. Hist. Vol.; *C.W. Mendell, Dict. Am. Biogr. 8, 81f.; M. Reinhold in Briggs (ed.), Biogr. Dict. of N. Am. Class. 1994, 245f.; Wikipedia with two portraits.