White's A Complete Arithmetic: Uniting Mental and Written Exercises in a Natural System of Instruction by Emerson Elbridge White

Author Emerson Elbridge White claimed he created White's A Complete Arithmetic: Uniting Mental and Written Exercises in a Natural System of Instruction to challenge the mind in a practical and philosophical manner. He summarized his work by stating that it was designed for students who had already mastered the elements of numbers. This 340-page hardbound grade school arithmetic text was used by Margaret Bacon Short in Illinois.

Emerson Elbridge White (1829-1902) was a native of Ohio. Educated at the Edinburg Academy and the University of Cleveland, he became the Superintendent of the Public Schools of Portsmouth, Ohio in 1856 and State Commissioner of Common Schools in 1863, as well as President of the Ohio Teachers Association. Three years later he was President of the National Superintendents Association and by 1872 he was President of the National Education Association. From 1876 to 1883 he was President of Purdue University and 1884-1886, he was president of the National Council of Education.

This book was published in 1870 in Cincinnati, Ohio by Wilson & Hinkle Co. which owned the copyright. This firm had been established toward the end of the Civil War to produce schoolbooks for the west and south out of Cincinnati as Sargent, Wilson & Hinkle Co. By 1866, Louis Van Antwerp, had joined the firm but in 1868 Mr. Sargent retired so the firm dissolved and is reformed as Wilson & Hinkle Co. By 1871, Caleb S. Bragg has joined the firm but when Wilson and the senior Hinkle retired in 1877, the company changed its name to Van Antwerp, Bragg & Company. Later editions of this book were published under this name. They took on more partners and began publishing in New York as well but by 1890 they had sold out to the American Book Company.

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