CLASS OF 1879

Ashton Rollins Willard died of pneumonia at his home in Boston October 3, after a short illness.

Mr. Willard was born in Montpelier, Vt., April 14, 1858, his father being Charles Wesley Willard of the Dartmouth class of 1851, a member of Congress from 1869 to 1875, and his mother Emily Doane Reed. The son was named for Edward Ashton Rollins, a classmate and intimate friend of his father. He fitted for college at Montpelier Union School. He was a member of Alpha Delta Phi and Phi Beta Kappa.

For two years after graduation he was employed on a revision of the laws of Vermont, being first a clerk to his father, who was engaged in the revision, then clerk to a legislative committee, and finally one of the commissioners to edit and publish the final result. Having previously begun the study of law at home, he completed it at Harvard Law School in 1881-2, and was then admitted to the Vermont bar and began practice at Montpelier. In 1887 he removed to Boston, and soon relinquished practice to devote himself to literature and art. He traveled and lived much abroad, chiefly in Italy, and became deeply interested in the Italians, their country, art, and literature. He wrote much on art subjects for magazines, and published several books, among them "Life and Work of the Painter Domenico Morelli," in 1895; "History of Modern Italian Art," in 1898; and "Land oi the Latins," in 1902. In recognition of his work in behalf of Italy, he was made in 1902 a Chevalier of the Order of the Crown of that country.

Some years ago Mr. Willard opened his Commonwealth Avenue home in Boston for a course of lectures on the art and literature of Italy, which were given in Italian by the late Count Salone di Campello. The Circolo Italiano, of which Mr. Willard was an active member, frequently met at his house, and he had been a leader in maintaining its interests. For ten years he had been totally blind.

In 1888 he was married to Agnes, daughter of Governor Horace Fairbanks of St. Johnsbury, Vt., who died in 1912. Their daughter, Theodora, survives her parents.