Thornwell Jacobs

Thornwell Jacobs (February 15, 1877 – August 4, 1956) was an educator, author, and a Presbyterian minister. He conceived the Crypt of Civilization idea for a historic time collection of 1930s cultural objects sealed in a specially designed place for people of the 82nd century to find to see how the people on Earth lived in the 20th century.

Thornwell Jacobs
Dr. Thornwell Jacobs, president of Oglethorpe University, sealing the last object holder to go into the Crypt of Civilization.
Born(1877-02-15)15 February 1877
Clinton, South Carolina
Died4 August 1956 (aged 79)
Clinton, South Carolina
OccupationPresbyterian minister, author, educator, business executive
Known foreducator, "time capsule"
Parent(s)William Plumer Jacobs
Mary Jane (Dillard)

Early life

Jacobs was born at Thornwell Orphanage in Clinton, South Carolina on February 15, 1877. The orphanage was built and developed by his father, Reverend William Plumer Jacobs. Mary Jane Dillard Jacobs was the wife of William and Jacob's mother. Jacobs learned the printing trade while a boy. Later in 1895 when he was 18 years old he earned the Bachelor of Arts degree and Master of Arts degree from Presbyterian College of South Carolina. After that he attended Princeton Theological Seminary that is located in the state of New Jersey and graduated from there in 1899.[1][2]

Adult life

Jacobs served as a Presbyterian pastor in Morganton, North Carolina, at the Presbyterian Church from 1900 to 1903. After this time he became vice president of Thornwell Orphanage and began fund raising for the organization.[3]

Career

Jacobs is noted for restoring and rebuilding the old college of Oglethorpe University.[4] He became its' president on January 21, 1915 and continued in that position for nearly 30 years until 1944.[5] Oglethorpe University was chartered a Presbyterian institution in 1835.[6] The college had been closed during the American Civil War and was not reopen until Jacobs intervened and reestablished it.[2]

Other

In 1922 Jacobs rediscovered the burial place of General James Edward Oglethorpe in Cranham, England.[5] He made an effort to have his body's remains and that of his wife's moved to Atlanta where they were to to be reburied in a tomb on the Oglethorpe campus, but there was opposition from Georgia organizations and English authorities that caused this from not coming to fruition.[7]

Crypt of Civilization
Main article: Crypt of Civilization

Jacobs originated and conceived the Crypt of Civilization idea for a historic time treasure trove of 1930s cultural objects sealed in a specially designed room at Oglethorpe University.[8] The room was removed of oxygen and sealed off with welded steel doors in 1940 with the intention of the civilization of the 82nd century to find.[2][5][8] According to the Guinness Book of World Records it was successful in being first record of 20th century cultural objects buried away for any future occupants of Earth or visitors that may come to the planet.[9] He planned and designed the permanent storage space to preserve information of the early 20th century in 1930s. He discussed this proposal in an article in Scientific American, November 1936, because he was astounded by the shortage of information on people that lived in communities and settlements that were established as a basis for nations and empires that came about later.[10] Jacobs devised a plan to present a story of customs of humans on Earth and put it down in a detailed written design. He wanted to show the acquired knowledge of people, especially of the United States, up to the present time.[10]

Jacobs put Dr. Thomas Kimmwood Peters in charge of the project in 1937 because of his experience as a scientist, photographer, and inventor. For the next three years most every conceivable phase of living was investigated and cataloged. There were 960,000 pages of book knowledge microfilmed by specially designed cameras of Peters innovation. There were included to show the level of scientific achievement 250 motion pictures about industries, processes of manufacture, surgical operations, scenes of everyday life, fiction films, documentaries, a motion picture history of the United States from 1895 and a still photography history from 1840. Additionally to show the way of living in the 20th century fashions in 30 inch high miniature models were made dressed by prominent costume designers, complete with patterns for full-length reproduction in the future. Also included was a complete five-and-ten-cent store, dishes, newspapers, chewing gum, optical instruments, musical instruments, cataloged musical recordings, scale models of railroad locomotives, automobiles, yachts, ocean liners, airplanes, air-conditioning systems, and samples of food with associated drinks.[11]

The permanent closing of the crypt by welding the entrance door in place sealing it had ceremonies performed May 27, 1940. So that the Crypt of Civilization project and the tomb's location would not be lost, a series of records were made in all the world's major languages and then sent to repositories, libraries, and universities in key parts of the world. The Crypt was closed permanently on May 28, 1940. It is not intended to be opened again until at least May 28, 8113 C.E.. Because of this Oglethorpe University project Jacobs is known as the Father of Modern Time Capsules.[12][13]

George Edward Pendray is the one responsible for the Westinghouse Time Capsule that was buried in 1939 for the New York World's Fair that took place in 1939 and 1940.[10] He "borrowed" the original idea from Jacobs.[14] Originally Westinghouse's project was named time bomb because of its shape, but due to the time period of World War II this was not acceptable and Pendray then coined a new term of time capsule.[15][16] The date of 8113 C.E. was calculated by Jacobs from the first accepted historical fixed date, 4241 B.C.E. This is the time that chroniclers and scholars believe was when the Egyptian calendar became established. The Crypt's projected intended opening is in 6177 years.[5] This was what Jacobs determined as the number of years between 4241 BCE and 1936 CE. He then added the same amount of years to 1936, concluding the year as a midway time, and then decided the opening date of the crypt should be no earlier than 8113 A.D.[12]

Death

Jacobs died August 4, 1956 in Atlanta, Georgia. He is buried at the First Presbyterian Church cemetery in Clinton, South Carolina.[17]

Works
  • Sinful Saddy (1907)
  • Law of White Circle (1908)
  • Midnight Mummer (poems) (1911)
  • The Oglethorpe Story (1916)
  • Life of William Plumer Jacobs (1918)
  • New Science and the Old Religion (1927)
  • Islands of the Blest (poems) (1928)
  • Oglethorpe Book of Georgia Verse (1930)
  • Diary of William Plumber Jacobs (1937)
  • William Plumber Jacobs Memorabilla (1942)
  • Red Lanterns on St. Michael's (1940)
  • Story of Christmas (1941)
  • Drums of Doomsday (1942)
  • Step down, Dr. Jacobs (1945)
  • When For The Truth - Reconstruction Days in South Carolina (1950)

References
  1. Marquis 1966, p. 443.
  2. Paul Stephen Hudson (15 August 2013). "The New Georgia Encyclopedia / Thornwell Jacobs (1877-1956)". New Georgia Encyclopedia. University of Georgia. Retrieved 2021-02-07.
  3. "Jacobs Rites at 5 Today was Educator and Author". The Greenville New. Greenville, South Carolina. August 7, 1956. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com .
  4. Webb Garrison (May 11, 1986). "Capturing time in a bottle". The Atlanta Constitution. Atlanta, Georgia. p. 121 – via Newspapers.com .
  5. "Article on Paul Stephen Hudson". Archived from the original on 2011-07-09. Retrieved 2008-06-28.
  6. "The New Georgia Encyclopedia — Education — Oglethorpe University". Retrieved 2008-06-28.
  7. "Will Adorn Grave of Oglethorpe". The Atlanta Constitution. Atlanta, Georgia. January 27, 1925. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com .
  8. Keith Phillips (August 29, 1990). "Crypt Entombs Secrets of 1930s for Habitants of 82nd Century". The Salt Lake Tribune. Atlanta, Georgia. p. 61 – via Newspapers.com .
  9. Dean 2010, p. 18.
  10. "History of the Crypt of Civilization". Archived from the original on 2008-05-09. Retrieved 2008-06-28.
  11. "Detailed History / The "Archaeological Duty" of Thornwell Jacobs / The Oglethorpe Atlanta Crypt of Civilization Time Capsule". Retrieved 2021-02-08.
  12. "Oglethorpe University - International Time Capsule Society". Archived from the original on 2008-06-20. Retrieved 2008-07-05.
  13. Jarvis 2002, p. 232.
  14. Jarvis 2002, pp. 153-156.
  15. Jarvis 2002, p. 155.
  16. "Time capsules leave behind remnants of our lives". Quad-City Times. Davenport, Iowa. July 29, 1993. p. 121 – via Newspapers.com .
  17. "Dr. Thornwell Jacobs". The Index-Journaln. Greenwood, South Carolina. August 7, 1956. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com .

Sources
  • Marquis (1966). Who Was Who in America, Volume 3, 1951–1960. Marquis Who's Who. OCLC 894986012.
  • Jarvis, William E. (2002). Time Capsules: Cultural History. McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-1261-5.

See also
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