Overview
The Ravi D. Goel Collection of Heber S. Thompson highlights the Civil War experiences of the first Yale College student to answer President Lincoln’s call for volunteers after the Battle of Fort Sumter. Heber S. Thompson, a member and author of The First Defenders, enlisted on April 17, 1861. The collection includes a handwritten note from Yale Professor (and future 11th President) Noah Porter advising Thompson to “ask a furlough” to return for final exams. Also included is a letter signed by Thompson’s senior classmates — Union and Confederate alike — who petitioned Yale’s faculty to grant Thompson the honors of graduation despite his wartime absence.
Thompson’s 1861 Yale album is filled with classmate entries, offering rare insights into student life, the Civil War’s divisions, and the enduring bonds of a class fractured by history.
Dr. Goel will also share selections from his broader manuscript collections, which celebrate Yale’s historic “firsts,” including:
- Jacob Heminway (Yale’s first student, 1704)
- Philip Livingston (Signer of the Declaration of Independence, Class of 1737)
- Yung Wing (First Chinese student, Class of 1854)
- Henry Roe Cloud (First Native American student, Class of 1910)
- Ephemera related to US Presidents including FDR and JFK
These materials offer a unique lens into individual stories that shaped American history and underscore the lasting power of personal manuscripts.
Date: Monday, August 11, 8pm EST
Guest Presenter: Ravi D. Goel, MD
Host: Gerald “Jay” Gaidmore
Presenter
Ravi D. Goel, MD, is a comprehensive ophthalmologist and collector of historical manuscripts. His passion for preserving history has led to the donation of significant materials to institutions including the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Amherst College, Dickinson College, Forest History Society, Harvard University, Minnesota Historical Society, Princeton University, Yale University, and the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research.
Dr. Goel’s collections include overlooked figures and “firsts” in American history, with an emphasis on Yale alumni, US Presidents, and Civil War narratives. His efforts aim to preserve and share these stories with scholars, researchers, and future generations.
He shares highlights of his collecting journey at www.ProtectingSight.com.
