Silas F. Millikan Papers, 1814-1960, undated
| Oberlin College Archives
Administrative/Biographical History
Silas Franklin Millikan, son of Daniel Franklin and Sally Aurelia (Pease) Millikan, was born 8 February 1834, in Freedom, Ohio. His mother Aurelia was the sister of Peter Pindar Pease, the first colonist of Oberlin. The Pease and Millikan families originating in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, were closely associated by the shoemaking apprenticeship of Daniel Franklin Millikan to Aurelia’s father, Phineas Pease.
The Millikan family moved from Freedom, Ohio, to Lyndon, Illinois, in 1838. Their home was a station on the Underground Railroad. According to a biographical sketch included in the collection, this influenced Silas’ participation in the Oberlin-Wellington slave rescue as one of the men who went from Oberlin to Wellington to rescue a slave from his captors in 1858. At age fifteen, Silas entered Knox College. He studied there for two years, then transferred to Oberlin College in 1853. He received his A.B. degree from Oberlin in 1855, earned an M.A. in 1858, and in 1859 he graduated from the Seminary. During his time at Oberlin, Silas enrolled in courses taught by Dr. James Dascomb and George Nelson Allen. President Charles G. Finney, John Morgan, and James H. Fairchild were also at the College during that time.
Millikan was ordained a minister of the Congregational Church in Crete, Illinois, in 1860, and subsequently held pastorates in Illinois, Iowa, and Kansas. He published only one paper, and, according to his answer for the Alumni Catalogue Survey of 1899, his publications were “[S]ermons. More sermons! More sermons!” The 1936 Alumni Catalogue notes that he was a strong supporter of “the missionary, anti-slavery, temperance and social purity causes.”
In 1864 he married Mary Jane Andrews (Oberlin College, Lit. 1857) in Rochester, New York. Mary was Principal of the Ladies Department of Olivet College in Michigan until their marriage. The couple had six children, and Silas and Mary were intent on giving the children the best education possible. Silas’ income as a pastor and money earned by the children financed each child’s education. The older children, after graduating, helped support the education of their younger siblings. All of the Millikan children graduated from Oberlin College: Allan Fairchild, Ph.B. 1890; Robert Andrews, A.B. 1891, A.M. 1893, Sc.D. 1911; Max Frank, A.B. 1894; Mary Grace (Behr), A.B. 1895; Marjorie Avis (Johnson), A.B. 1898; and Mabel Aurelia (Brown), A.B. 1901. Robert A. Millikan became a physicist and won the 1923 Nobel Prize in Physics. Mabel Millikan married Rev. Robert E. Brown (Oberlin College, A.B. 1901), who was a member of the Board of Trustees, 1920-29, and an Oberlin College professor, 1929-38.
Silas Millikan retired in 1905 after 46 years of ministerial work and lived with his children in Iowa until his death in 1915 in Rochester, NY.
SOURCES CONSULTED
Student File and Papers (RG 30/84) of Silas F. Millikan. “Family Trails and Tales” by Mabel Millikan Brown, Oberlin Alumni Magazine (Feb. 1965): 18-21.
Author: Rebecca Deeb Forms of Material (links to similar genres) Administrative Information
The papers of Silas F. Millikan primarily document the lives of his immediate family and relatives. The bulk of the material, especially the correspondence, concerns Silas’ parents, Daniel and Aurelia Millikan, and his mother’s family, the Peases. The first series, Biographical Material, contains the bulk of the information about Silas F. Millikan, particularly in a biographical sketch of the minister. The biography, written by an unknown author, includes quotes by Millikan, as well as substantial excerpts from papers that he wrote. The biography also mentions his involvement in the Oberlin-Wellington slave rescue. Also in this series is an article about Silas and Mary’s 50th wedding anniversary that includes biographical information concerning their six children.
Series 2, Correspondence, contains letters written by, and regarding, the Pease and Millikan families. Some of the letters were hand-copied by Marjorie (Millikan) Johnson. Among the letters are correspondence discussing the early death of S. Aurelia Pease’s brother Phineas and a letter from Silas Millikan’s mother to all of her children, scolding them for their quarrelling. Later letters from the 1950s and 1960s briefly discuss the genealogies and histories of the Franklin (by way of the Millikans), Millikan, and Andrews families. Series 3, Writings, contains a variety of writings, most notable of which is an essay about 100 years of co-education at Oberlin College. This piece, written by an unknown author, was hand-copied by Marjorie Millikan and is an interesting summary of the early years of Oberlin College’s education of women.
The fourth series, Miscellaneous, includes lecture notes made by Silas Millikan during his years at Oberlin College from lectures about physiology by Dr. James Dascomb, moral philosophy by President Charles G. Finney, mineralogy by Professor George N. Allen, and a French class. An annotated copy of Silas’ hymnbook from his pastorate in Crete, Illinois, is also in this series. This book and biographical information represent the extent of the documentation concerning his ministry. Series 5, Photographs, contains pictures of Mary Andrews Millikan and a photograph of the Pease family house in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.
The collection is divided into 5 series: 1. Biographical Material, 2. Correspondence, 3. Writings, 4. Miscellaneous, and 5. Photographs.
SERIES DESCRIPTIONS
Series 1. Biographical Material, 1853, 1914, c. 1950, 1958, n.d.
This series contains materials relating to the life and family history of Silas F. Millikan. Consists of the congregational index of the Stockbridge, Massachusetts Congregational Church with the Pease family members marked, an article about Mr. and Mrs. Silas F. Millikan’s 50th wedding anniversary, an article about the founding of Oberlin that mentions the Pease family, and a biographical sketch of Silas F. Millikan that includes quotations from him.
Series 2. Correspondence, 1814-1960 (span), n.d.
Consists of correspondence of the Pease and Millikan families. Includes letters to Phineas Pease regarding the death of his son Phineas (Aurelia’s brother) and correspondence by the Pease sisters and the Millikan family describing journeys and family matters. Also extends to Silas’ children, including Robert A. Millikan (Oberlin College, A.B. 1891).
Series 3. Writings, c. 1937, n.d.
Series consists of an essay, “A Century of Co-education,” regarding the centennial celebration of co-education at Oberlin College, a copy of inscriptions in Daniel Franklin’s Bible, a poem copied by Silas’ brother Robert D. Millikan, and an essay written by Martha A. Millikan.
Series 4. Miscellaneous, 1855, 1857
This series is comprised of various materials of Silas and Mary Millikan. Includes a bound notebook of lecture notes by Silas F. Millikan. Also includes Silas’ annotated copy of a hymnbook and a ribbon presented to Mary Jane Andrews (Millikan) from her grammar school classmates.
Series 5. Photographs, 1864, n.d.
This series consists of two photographs of Mary Andrews Millikan and a photograph of the Pease house in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.
INVENTORY
Series 1. Biographical Material, 1853, 1914, c. 1950, 1958, n.d.
Box 1
“Historical Sketch” of the Congregational
Church in Stockbridge, Mass., 1853
“The Oak Park, Illinois, Event,” re: Mr. & Mrs.
Silas F. Millikan’s 50th Wedding
Anniversary, 1914
“The Literary Spotlight” column, re: “The
Autobiography of Dr. Robert A.
Millikan,” c. 1950
“Shipherd’s Rocket: In Orbit for 125 Years,
Has Oberlin Failed?” unknown
author, c. 1958
Biographical sketch of Silas F. Millikan,
unknown author, n.d.
Series 2. Correspondence, 1814-1960 (span), n.d.
Box 1 (cont.)
Pease family letters, 1814-18
Various acquaintances of his son
Phineas to Phineas Pease,
hand copy, 1818
Phineas Pease, to his family, excerpts of
letters, hand copy, 1814-17
Letters from Pease sisters to S. Aurelia Millikan
and Family, 1830s-1851, n.d.
Amanda Pease to “My dear Friends”
(Daniel F. Millikan Family), 2 hand
copies, 1832
Martha Pease to “My dear sister” (Aurelia
Pease Millikan), hand copy, 1830s
Amanda (Pease) Patterson to “My Dear
Sister,” 1837, with later letter on
back: To “My Dear Child” from
“A.M.” (Aurelia Millikan?), her
mother, original and copy, n.d.
Unknown author to “Dear Sister,” original,
1848
Amanda P. Patterson to “My Dear Sister”
(Aurelia Pease Millikan),
original, 1851
Amanda P. Patterson to “My Dear Sister
Aurelia (Millikan),” original, n.d.
Letters from S. Aurelia Pease Millikan, 1819-1863
Acrostic to Daniel F. Millikan, original and
copy, 1819
“Dear cousin”—Noah, original and
copy, 1819
Daniel F. Millikan, hand copy, 1833
Children of Daniel & Aurelia Millikan,
original, 1863
Miscellaneous Millikan correspondence,
1855-1960, n.d.
Martha (Millikan?) to “My Dear Father,”
original and copy, 1855
“Frank” to unknown addressee, partial letter,
and quotation from Mary Sweeney,
original, 1859
Unknown author (Silas F. Millikan’s sister)
to “My Dear Parents” (Daniel &
Aurelia Millikan), original, 1859
“Mother” (niece of Mary J. Millikan on
Andrews side) to “Dear Howard”
(C. Howard Hall), original, 1915
Postcard, unknown author to Mrs.
Robert E. Brown, 1916
“Aunt Sarah” to “Dear Niece” (Martha
Whallon), probably re: Mary Jane
Millikan’s death, original, 1918
Robert A. Millikan to “Dear Mable”—Mrs.
Robert E. Brown (Mabel [Millikan]
Brown), original, 1924
Robert A. Millikan to “Dear Cousin
Jennie”—Mrs. Jennie (Andrews)
Hall, original, 1950
A. Ross Eckler (descendent of Franklin
family) to “Dear Mrs. Brown” (Mabel
Millikan Brown), original, 1960
A. Ross Eckler to “Dear Mrs. Brown” (Mabel
Millikan Brown), original, 1960
“Quotations from father’s letters to mother”
(Silas to Mary Millikan), hand
copy, n.d.
Marjorie (Millikan) Johnson to unknown
addressee, partial, original, n.d.
Series 3. Writings, 1937, n.d.
Box 1 (cont.)
“A Century of Co-education,” unknown author, c. 1937
Inscription in the Daniel Franklin Bible, hand copy, n.d.
“The scar of Lexington,” poem by H.F. Goud, Robert D.
Millikan’s copy, n.d.
“The stream of Death,” essay by Martha A. Millikan, n.d.
Series 4. Miscellaneous, 1855, 1857
Box 1 (cont.)
Lecture notes, probably by Silas F. Millikan,
1855, 1857
100th Edition of the Golden Wreath, belonged to
Silas F. Millikan, 1857
Ribbon, 17.5” x 2.5”, white, “Presented to Miss M.J.
Andrews by the following members of her
Grammar Class. Oberlin, Aug. 21, 1857”
Series 5. Photographs, 1864, n.d.
Box 1 (cont.)
Mary Andrews Millikan, 1864
Mary Andrews Millikan, n.d.
Pease house, n.d.