Dr. Nathaniel B. Emerson.

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Biographical Note

Nathaniel Bright Emerson, born in Waialua, Oahu, on July 1, 1839, was the son of Reverend John Smith Emerson and Ursula Sophia Newell Emerson, missionaries who came to Hawaii in 1832. After completing his education at Punahou, Emerson left Hawaii and moved to the United States to attend Williams College, in Williamstown, Massachusetts. In September 1862, he enlisted in the First Regiment of the Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. His regiment was involved in several major battles including Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, and several skirmishes of the Wilderness Campaign; he was wounded at both Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville and spent several months in army hospitals. In May 1864 he was mustered out of the army and returned to college. Emerson studied medicine at Harvard and at the College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City. He graduated with his medical degree in 1869 and remained in New York City where he had his own medical practice.

In 1878, at the invitation of S. G. Wilder, Hawaiian Minister of Interior and president of the Hawaiian Board of Health, Emerson returned to Hawaii to work at Kalaupapa, a leper colony on the island of Molokai. In 1885, Nathaniel married Dr. Sarah Eliza Pierce, one of the first female doctors in Hawaii; they had one child, Arthur Webster Emerson, who was born in 1887. Besides having his own medical practice in Honolulu, Emerson also held several offices in Hawaii including vaccinating officer for Oahu, president of the Board of Health, and prison physician, a position he held until his death. Emerson was a member of several groups including the Hawaiian Historical Society, the Polynesian Society, the American Social Science Association, the American Neurologists' Association and he was also a trustee of Oahu College for seventeen years.

Emerson, having grown up in Hawaii, became fascinated by Hawaiian history, the language, the folklore and the culture and was one of the more notable Hawaiian ethnographers and historians of his time. Emerson wrote several monographs, articles and speeches regarding Hawaiian ethnology, history and culture. His research culminated in four published works: a translation of Davida Malo's Moolelo Hawaii (Hawaiian Antiquities); an address to the Hawaiian Historical Society entitled The Long Voyages of the Ancient Hawaiians (which was published by the Hawaiian Gazette); Unwritten Literature of Hawaii: The Sacred Songs of the Hula, published by the Smithsonian Institution's Bureau of American Ethnology; and Pele and Hiiaka: A Myth from Hawaii. Emerson died while on a sea voyage with his son in July 1915, at the age of 76.

From the guide to the Nathaniel Bright Emerson Papers, 1766-1944, (The Huntington Library)

Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Abraham Cook person
associatedWith Abraham Wilcox Peirce person
correspondedWith Albert Francis Judd. person
correspondedWith Alden, George I. person
correspondedWith Alexander, Pattie E. person
associatedWith Alexander, W. D. (William De Witt), 1833-1913 person
associatedWith A. P. Peterson. person
correspondedWith Arthur P. Peterson. person
correspondedWith Arthur Webster Emerson person
correspondedWith Atherton, Mrs. Samuel. person
correspondedWith Baldwin, Henry Perrine. person
associatedWith Baldwin Home. person
correspondedWith Best, Elsdon, 1856-1931 person
associatedWith Bishop Home. person
correspondedWith Blodgett, Constantine. person
correspondedWith Blodgett, Sallie. person
correspondedWith Boardman, O. T. person
correspondedWith Board of Supervisors of the City person
associatedWith Borden, George person
associatedWith Boston University. School of Medicine. Fifth Annual Announcement, and Catalogue. person
associatedWith Buke Helu person
correspondedWith Byrington, S. Lillian. person
correspondedWith Captain G. C. Wiltse person
correspondedWith Castle, William R. (William Richards), 1878-1963 person
correspondedWith C. A. Tobies. person
associatedWith Chamberlain person
correspondedWith Charles T. Gulick. person
correspondedWith Chickering, William H. person
correspondedWith Churchill, William, 1859-1920 person
correspondedWith Cisfield, Arthur. person
correspondedWith Clapp, Dorothea. person
correspondedWith Clapp, S. person
associatedWith Clara Schneider person
associatedWith Clark, Joseph K. person
associatedWith Cleveland, Grover, 1837-1908 person
correspondedWith Colson, H. D. person
associatedWith Cook, Abraham. person
associatedWith Cooke, Charles M. person
associatedWith Cook, John. person
associatedWith Cook, Pardon. person
correspondedWith County of Honolulu. person
associatedWith Creighton, Charles person
associatedWith Cudworth, Warren H. (Warren Handel), 1825-1883 person
associatedWith Davida Malo, 1795-1853 person
associatedWith Davis person
correspondedWith Desha, Stephen. person
correspondedWith Dickey, Lyle A. (Lyle Alexander), b. 1868 person
associatedWith Dole, Daniel. person
correspondedWith Dorothea Lamb Emerson. person
associatedWith Dowsett, J. I. person
correspondedWith Edith L. Maryland. person
associatedWith E. D. Kilbourne. person
correspondedWith Emerson, Arthur Webster. person
correspondedWith Emerson, Bessie. person
correspondedWith Emerson, Clara G. person
correspondedWith Emerson, Dorothea Lamb. person
correspondedWith Emerson, Eugenie Homer. person
associatedWith Emerson, John Smith, 1800-1867 person
correspondedWith Emerson, J. S. (Joseph S.). person
correspondedWith Emerson, Justin E. person
associatedWith Emerson Law Suit person
correspondedWith Emerson, Nathaniel Bright, 1839-1915 person
correspondedWith Emerson, Oliver Pomeroy, 1845- person
correspondedWith Emerson, Samuel. person
correspondedWith Emerson, Sarah Eliza Pierce, 1855-1938 person
correspondedWith Emerson, Ursula Sophia Newell, 1806-1888 person
correspondedWith Emerson, Wilimena H. Eliot (Wilimena Hannah Eliot), b. 1853 person
correspondedWith Farrington, Wallace Rider. person
correspondedWith Fornander, Abraham, 1812-1887 person
associatedWith Fowler, Orin, 1791-1852 person
correspondedWith Francis M. Hatch. person
associatedWith Francis R. Walker person
associatedWith Frederick Thomas Lenehan person
correspondedWith F. W. McChesney person
correspondedWith George W. Smith. person
correspondedWith Gibson, Thomas Herbert. person
associatedWith Governor George Robert Carter, 1866-1933 person
correspondedWith Gragg, Isaac P. (Isaac Paul). person
correspondedWith Hapai, Henry C. person
correspondedWith Harriet Christiana Peirce person
correspondedWith Harriet Durfee Peirce. person
associatedWith Harvey, Fred E. person
associatedWith Hathaway, Susan person
correspondedWith Hazard, R. person
correspondedWith H. D. Colson. person
correspondedWith Henry Ernest Cooper. person
associatedWith Hitchcock, Edward G. person
correspondedWith Hodge, Frederick Webb, 1864-1956 person
correspondedWith Holmes, William Henry, 1846-1933 person
correspondedWith Holokahiki, W. L. person
associatedWith Holt, John D. person
associatedWith Hopkins, Charles. person
associatedWith Houghton Mifflin Company. corporateBody
correspondedWith James Hay Wodehouse person
associatedWith J. O. Carty person
correspondedWith John L. Stevenson person
correspondedWith John, Robert. person
correspondedWith John Smith Emerson, 1800-1867 person
associatedWith Jones, E. A. person
correspondedWith Jones, Nancy E. person
associatedWith Jones, Peter C. person
correspondedWith Joseph James Fern person
correspondedWith J. P. Peirce. person
associatedWith J. Rosenstein. person
correspondedWith J. S. (Joseph S.) Emerson person
correspondedWith J. S. Walker person
associatedWith J. T. Gulick person
correspondedWith Judd, A. F. (Albert Francis), 1874-1939 person
correspondedWith Judson Smith. person
associatedWith Julia F. Pacheco person
correspondedWith Justin E. Emerson. person
correspondedWith Kaelemakule, J. person
associatedWith Kamakau of Kaawaloa. person
correspondedWith Kaopeahina, D. person
correspondedWith Kaualoha person
correspondedWith Kauhane, G. W. person
correspondedWith Kaumiumi, D. Kama person
correspondedWith Kauwalu, J. person
correspondedWith Kekela, James Hunnewell, 1824-1904 person
associatedWith Kiakahi, Ioela. person
correspondedWith Kimball, Caleb, 1798-1879 person
correspondedWith Kittredge, Etta. person
correspondedWith Kittredge, Farrington. person
correspondedWith Kopa, G. L. person
correspondedWith Kuana Kaunamano. person
correspondedWith Kukahi, Joseph L. person
correspondedWith Kupihea, S. K. person
associatedWith Lake Mohonk Conference. person
associatedWith Lane, Lot. person
associatedWith La Pierre, L. L. person
correspondedWith Leialoha, Job. L. person
associatedWith Lenehan, Frederick Thomas. person
associatedWith Lewis, Charlton M. person
associatedWith Liliuokalani Dominis person
associatedWith L. R. Patten person
correspondedWith Magoon, Alfred J. person
associatedWith Mahaulu, Archie. person
correspondedWith Malo, Davida, 1795-1853 person
correspondedWith Manu, Moses. person
correspondedWith McCann, H. T. person
associatedWith McChesney, F. W. person
associatedWith McVeagh, Thomas. person
associatedWith Medical Journal person
correspondedWith Metzger, Bertha. person
correspondedWith M. M. Kimball. person
associatedWith Moau person
correspondedWith Montgomery, Spencer B. person
associatedWith Morgan, James F. person
correspondedWith Mott-Smith, Ernest Augustus. person
correspondedWith Mrs. Abraham Wilcox. person
correspondedWith Murphy, Daniel M. person
correspondedWith Nathaniel Bright Emerson, 1839-1915 person
correspondedWith Newcomb, E. A. P. person
correspondedWith Newell, Gad. person
correspondedWith Newell, Oliver P. person
associatedWith Nohonoho person
associatedWith Norrie, Edmund. person
correspondedWith Nourse, George A. person
associatedWith Nowlien, Samuel. person
associatedWith Nye, Ebenezer F., b. 1822 person
associatedWith Oahu Railway and Land Company corporateBody
correspondedWith Oliver Emerson. person
correspondedWith Oliver P. Newell. person
correspondedWith Oliver Pomeroy Emerson, 1845- person
correspondedWith Peirce, Abraham Wilcox. person
associatedWith Peirce Family Genealogy person
correspondedWith Peirce, Harriet Christiana. person
correspondedWith Peirce, Mr. person
correspondedWith Peirce, Mrs. J. P. person
associatedWith Perry, Antonio. person
associatedWith Phillips, John. person
correspondedWith Phillips, L. D. person
associatedWith Pinkham, Lucius Eugene, 1850-1922 person
correspondedWith Poepoe, Joseph M. person
associatedWith Police SurgeonRecords person
associatedWith Rand, Mrs. F. E. person
correspondedWith Reid, W. E. person
correspondedWith Robbins, Emma C. person
associatedWith Robert Van Dyke. person
associatedWith Rogers, W. C. person
correspondedWith Rood, Ogden N. (Ogden Nicholas), 1831-1902 person
correspondedWith Rowell, William E. person
associatedWith R. W. (Robert William) Wilcox, 1855-1903 person
correspondedWith Samuel Newell Emerson. person
associatedWith Sarah Durfee person
correspondedWith Sarah Eliza Pierce Emerson, 1855-1938 person
correspondedWith Shores, Robert J. person
correspondedWith Short, Frank H. (Frank Hamilton), 1862-1920 person
correspondedWith Smith, S. Percy (Stephenson Percy), 1840-1922 person
associatedWith Smith, William O. (William Owen), b. 1848 person
associatedWith Soper, John H. person
correspondedWith Sophie Emerson Mann person
correspondedWith Spencer B. Montgomery. person
correspondedWith S. Percy (Stephenson Percy) Smith, 1840-1922 person
associatedWith Stanley Stephenson person
correspondedWith Stirling, Matthew Williams, 1896-1975 person
correspondedWith Swift, Sydney Bourne. person
correspondedWith Sylvano de Nobriga. person
associatedWith Sylva, Robert Hakuole. person
associatedWith Tenney, Edward D. person
correspondedWith Thompson, Frank E. person
associatedWith Thurston, Lorrin A. (Lorrin Andrews), 1858-1931 person
correspondedWith Tinker, Alfred. person
correspondedWith Tobies, C. A. person
associatedWith Townsend, George. person
associatedWith Trent Trust Company, Limited. person
correspondedWith Uecke, Claire H. person
correspondedWith Ursula Sophia Newell Emerson, 1806-1888 person
correspondedWith Ursula Sophia Newell Emerson, 1906-1888 person
correspondedWith Waialeale, Robert. person
correspondedWith Waiau, G. W. person
correspondedWith Walker, J. S. person
associatedWith Warren, Charles F. H. person
correspondedWith W. D. (William De Witt) Alexander, 1833-1913 person
associatedWith Wilcox, George Norton. person
associatedWith Wilcox, R. W. (Robert William), 1855-1903 person
correspondedWith Wilder, Samuel Gardner. person
associatedWith Wilder, William C. person
correspondedWith Wilimena H. Eliot (Wilimena Hannah Eliot) Emerson, b. 1853 person
associatedWith William Horace Wright person
correspondedWith William O. (William Owen) Smith, b. 1848 person
correspondedWith William Richards, 1793-1847 person
correspondedWith Wood, Edgar. person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Subject
Occupation
Activity

Person

Birth 1766

Death 1944

Information

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Ark ID: w6pw8w4k

SNAC ID: 51432848