Philippe Belknap Marcou (Nov. 12, 1855 – Jun. 28, 1927), professor and scholar, was born in Salins, France, to Jules Marcou, a celebrated geologist, and his wife, Jane Belknap Marcou of Boston, who published a biography of her grandfather, Jeremy Belknap, (Harvard AB 1762) a founder of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Philippe spent his youth traveling between France and the United States, studying at both the Lycée Impérial Napoleon in Paris and Dixwell’s School in Boston. After graduating Phi Beta Kappa from Harvard College in 1876 taught for a short period at St. Mark’s School in Southborough, Massachusetts.

Marcou then left for England to study at Cambridge, receiving his master's degree in 1879. He then served as Instructor of French at Johns Hopkins University from 1880 to 1883 before returning to Europe for travel and study. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Berlin in 1888. Afterward, he returned to the United States to serve as an Instructor in Romance Languages at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. After a year, he transferred to Harvard, where he was an Instructor of Romance Languages from 1890 until 1899, when he was appointed an Assistant Professor of Romance Languages at the university.

In 1900, Marcou joined the staff of the Cuban Summer School as a Lecturer in American History. Over the course of the summer, he delivered eighteen lectures with his colleague, Dr. J.D.M. Ford on the social, commercial and political history of the United States. In October of that year, Marcou published an article titled “The University and The Cuban Teachers” in The Harvard Illustrated Magazine detailing the successes and innovations of the program. He attributed the success “to the humanizing effect of our modern language courses” on the Harvard student guides, who “had less than the average American feeling of cock-sureness and superiority, treated their Cuban charges with courtesy and kindliness, and often conceived a genuine friendship and respect for them. And respect for our Cuban neighbors is perhaps the best result that has come to us. The coming of the Cubans among us has produced an effect similar to a trip to Europe under the best auspices; it has broadened our sympathies, somewhat humbled our pride, and made us feel that … progress can only be attained through an exchange of what is best in each nation, and that a mutual and equal intercourse and not assimilation, benevolent or otherwise, is what we should all strive for.”

In January 1907, Marcou resigned from his assistant professorship at Harvard just days after a scandal broke out regarding an alleged ‘breach of promise’ to marry. Although Marcou denied ever having promised to marry the woman who sued him, the scandal had lasting effects on his social position in Boston. The case came to trial in 1908, and was covered nationally, highlighting the racial dimensions of the case—the plaintiff, Annie Manley, was an African American woman— Marcou’s position at Harvard and wealth, which was estimated at $155,000. After a short trial where Marcou admitted a relationship with Ms. Manley but denied proposing to marry her, the charges were dismissed. He then moved to Paris, and by 1909 infomed Cambridge authorities that was no longer liable for tax in the city as he had become a legal French resident. In Paris he developed relationship with scientists and scientific developments in the city and reconnected with old friends. In 1910, he became the Vice-President of the Société Des Américanistes De Paris, the first scholarly journal of American Studies in France.

Marcou was a man of many interests, from literature and history to ethnology and philosophy. He took a deep interest in the study of the Americas, particularly in the study of Mexico and ventured to study Nahuatl eventually reaching fluency in the Uto-Aztecan language.

Marcou, plagued by shyness and insecurity, did not publish many of his works and writings. He did, however, produce a number of textbooks containing review exercises for students of French which are still available for purchase today.

Philippe Belknap Marcou died on June 28, 1927 in Paris, France. He was 71 years old.


Further Reading

1. “Prof. Marcou Wins,” Cambridge Chronicle, 23 May 1908

2. “Harvard Square,” Cambridge Tribune, 10 March, 1909.

3. Marcou, P. B. “The University and the Cuban Teachers,” The Harvard Illustrated Magazine, Vol. II. October 1900: 1-5.

4. “Prof. Marcou Quits Harvard,” New York Times, Jan, 19, 1907.

5. Obituary: Paul Rivet, “Philippe B. Marcou,” Journal de la Société des Américanistes, 1928: 378-381.