Charles Francis Himes

Charles Francis Himes, professor of natural sciences at Dickinson College, was born in Lancaster County in 1838.¹ Developing a great interest in Latin and the natural sciences though his time at grammar school, Himes applied to Dickinson College in 1855. Originally rejected from the college due to his young age, Himes was eventually admitted, and thrived. After teaching in various institutions, Himes opted to pursue a Ph.D at the University of Giessen in 1865. After returning from abroad, Himes was invited to join the staff at Dickinson College, becoming the first member of the Dickinson Faculty to possess a PHD. He served first as a professor of Natural History then as a professor of Physics.²

Himes was well known for his innovative classroom techniques and community outreach while teaching at Dickinson College. Himes introduced laboratory work into the natural science curriculum, drawing from his time abroad to translate German laboratory manuals for student use.³ Further, Himes started to encourage student’s curiosity outside of the classroom, founding a natural sciences society, and organizing trainings for students who wanted to teach the natural sciences. Himes offered lectures to the Carlisle Community as well, lecturing on a variety of topics from solar eclipses to technological advances.⁴

Over the course of Himes’s career, he developed an interest in photography, a rare skill during his lifetime. Himes was introduced to photography in 1860, and immediately became fascinated with it. Himes released several collections of photographs, including Leaf Prints; Glimpses at Photography in 1868.⁵ While Himes was mostly focused on the scientific aspect of photography, he also took pictures of the aftermath of Gettysburg. Himes had a passion for history, as evidenced by his involvement in the founding of the Hamilton public library in 1876, which would eventually become the Cumberland County Historical Society.⁶ While Himes’s professional studies focused on the Sciences, his academic curiosities also extended to public history, with Himes conducting and preserving oral histories from the Carlisle community. Himes died in 1896 in Carlisle, and is remembered as a scientist, historian, photographer and teacher.

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