S8 Ep300: Guest: Ronald White. Chamberlain returned to Bowdoin College as its president, attempting to modernize the institution by introducing science and broader curricula. He faced resistance from conservative trustees and alumni but persisted in his vision for

The John Batchelor Show

John Batchelor

Arts, Books, Society & Culture, News

4.6 • 2.7K Ratings

🗓️ 11 January 2026

⏱️ 7 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Guest: Ronald White. Chamberlain returned to Bowdoin College as its president, attempting to modernize the institution by introducing science and broader curricula. He faced resistance from conservative trustees and alumni but persisted in his vision for a progressive education. Religious tensions also arose as Unitarianism gained influence; Chamberlain remained inclusive, even as Fanny and his daughter left the Congregational church. Throughout this era, he continued to be a highly sought-after speaker at veterans' reunions, outshining famous generals like Grant and Sheridan with his ability to weave classical literature and deep meaning into his war recollections.
1863 GETTYSBURG

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Hiring isn't just about finding someone willing to take the job.
0:03.5	You need the right person with the right background who can move your business forward.
0:07.4	If you want candidates who match what you're looking for, trust Indeed sponsored jobs.
0:12.3	And listeners of the show will get a 100-pound sponsored job credit to help get your job the premium status it deserves at Indeed.com slash broadcast. Just go to
0:22.3	Indeed.com slash broadcast right now and support this show by saying you heard about Indeed on
0:27.6	this podcast. Indeed.com slash broadcast. Terms and conditions apply. Hiring, do it the right way
0:34.4	with Indeed.
0:44.2	I'm John Batchew with Ron White, the author of On Great Fields, Life and Unlikely Heroism of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain.
0:46.2	The heroism happened those battles in the Civil War, but this is a way of looking at the
0:52.5	recovery of America from the Civil War as best it can.
0:57.2	The governorship is not enough.
1:00.2	Chamberlain is now asked to come back to Bowdoin College as the president.
1:04.7	And I note that this is significant only because as a union hero,
1:10.1	you would expect him not to go back to scholarship.
1:13.6	He can live on other opportunities in the government.
1:17.9	It's all dominated by Republicans.
1:20.1	Let's go to the visit of his hero, Ulysses Grant.
1:23.7	What's this, 1871.
1:25.2	Why does Grant come to Maine?
1:31.1	Grant comes to Maine to help promote a new international railroad. And as he comes and stops in Brunswick, where Bowden College is located,
1:38.0	he invites Chamberman to go with him to the great celebration in Bangor. When the Civil War had
1:43.8	ended and Chamberlain learned that Grant on a
	...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in 28 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from John Batchelor, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of John Batchelor and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.