Monday, September 17, 2012
Final Resting Place of Professor Joseph Carter Corbin Discovered
The final resting place of Professor Joseph Carter Corbin, State Superintendent of public
education in Arkansas during Reconstruction and founder of the University of Arkansas
at Pine Bluff, seemed lost to history until now.
Professor Corbin died January 9, 1911 in Pine Bluff. The Pine Bluff Daily Graphics and
Pine Bluff Commercial reported he was "to be buried in Chicago," but did not identify
place of interment.
A death certificate would normally provide this information but was non-existent for
Corbin because he died before statewide registration of deaths in Arkansas.
For four years, I have been pursuing Corbin's final resting place until
I changed my focus to Corbin's wife, Mary Jane Corbin, and was successful.
Mary Jane Corbin died in Chicago March 28, 1910 and was buried at Waldheim
(German Cemetery, now Forest Home), Forest Park, Illinois. Professor Corbin grave-
site is also there, along with John W. Corbin and Will Corbin. Professor Corbin was
interred January 14, 1911.
My goal is to have a headstone and historical marker placed at the
gravesite to commemorate this extraordinaire educator.
Footnote My thanks to the following contributors to this research: Linda McDowell,
Tony Burroughs, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library, Frank Coben, Elveria Goolsby.
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Gladys,
ReplyDeleteI've just finished reading your blog on the final resting place of Prof. Carter and think it's a wonderful piece. I would love to republish it in the AAGGMV Newsletter.
Bob Harris
Yes, you may republish. Further research is needed on current
ReplyDeletedescendants and school which awarded Professor Corbin an
honorary doctoral degree.
I am currently preparing a book on Professor Corbin after years of collecting data from various sources. Thanks for this entry. His daughter supposedly moved to E.St.Louis, IL but I do not know if she died there.
ReplyDeleteMore information: Corbin was found dead in Pine Bluff at his home at 9am at the age of 75yrs of age, his body was taken to Chicago for internment.
ReplyDeleteHe died on January 9,1911 OF natural causes and no inquest was held. His family tried to arouse him but to no avail. According to the newspaper article, he was survived by his son,Will and a daughhter, Louisa. There is no mention of his wife, Mary.