Genealogy of Caleb W. Lawrence & Family


Last updated May 30, 2021

CALEB WAKEFIELD LAWRENCE
1868  -  1939


Caleb Lawrence was born in Wilton, Maine. His father was a Congregational minister and the family were well-known Bostonians.    The young man Caleb tried several ventures in the business world and in 1896 went to Smyrna as an instructor in the International College.    In 1913, he became Profes­sor of English Literature and librarian.   He built up for the college library what was considered the best library on the Mediterranean, composed of some 15,000 volumes, 1000 of which were on the Near East. He also made a collection of about 1000 stereopticon slides on the various civilizations in Asia Minor from the time of the Hittites to the Romans.


While in Turkey Professor Lawrence had a chance to visit many sections of Asia Minor and to study the country and the rules of former civiliza­tions.   He was able to talk for hours on his hobby, Ancient Art and Archaeology of Anatolia and had some 5000 or more photographs of the interesting places In Asia Minor.


Professor Lawrence is a graduate of Queen's University, in Kingston, Canada, and during his furlough, found time to take a post graduate course at Harvard School of Education in 1917.    After he received his diploma at Harvard, he spent the year 1917-1918 as the American Regional Y.M.C.A. director in France, and established 148 barracks and dug-outs on the French front line in an effort to improve the morale of the French army.


After returning to Turkey he experienced many changes as the Turks came back to drive out the Greeks from Smyrna, one hundred and forty thousand being ordered to leave the city within ten days.


As he neared the age of retirement after serving 37 years at International College, one of the six educational institutions affiliated in the Near East College association, Professor Lawrence began to look for a home in America, and finally bought the old Leonard house in Norton, MA.   After settling his family in the new home, Professor Lawrence returned to com­plete his term of service in the college and then returned to Paradise Farm, as he named his home.