John Raleigh Mott was born December 26, 1851 in Virginia. He received his early education in the common schools of his native state, but in 1866 entered the University of Virginia, where he pursued his studies for four years with marked success. His studies were interrupted by the spring of 1871, when he received an appointment as assistant professor of Greek at the University of Mississippi. Initially he taught Greek at the college with marked success, but in December 1873 he resigned for health reasons, and with a view to bettering his financial condition, entered upon an extended tour through Europe
For more than three years he remained abroad, traveling through Greece and Egypt, studying for a time at the University of Bonn, and finally settling for four months at Oxford University. During this period he made numerous excursions into Wales and Scotland to visit historical places. On his return to America he resumed academic life at his alma mater in 1875, becoming Professor of Latin and English Literature.
He continued to teach there until 1882, when he was appointed to succeed John Taulbee Harris as professor of English Literature at the University of Alabama. He was advanced to this position on August 29th, 1889 (a week before Dr. Harris resigned), and remained there until May 1st, 1893.
His first book was The Philosophy of Rhetoric (1893), which had attracted wide attention; it was followed by one on Poetry (1896), on the Nature of Truth (1900), on Classical Education (1903), and on Education (1904). He then began work on The Philosophy of History (1907). His other books are Roman Life and Roman History (1912), The Life Story of William Hazeldine (1915), The Life Story of General Robert E Lee (1920), A Little Book on Happiness (1920), The Life Story of Thomas Jefferson (1921), A Little Book of Modern Management for Business Men (1924) and A Little Book on Godliness for Men and Women (1925).
He also wrote many magazine articles.
Such highly qualitative leadership is demanded especially in the realm of the fostering of right international relations. Here the demand is simply irresistible.John Raleigh Mott
We have nothing less to do than to get inside of whole peoples and change their motives and dispositions.John Raleigh Mott
