Cornelius J. Hoebeke

Cornelius James Hoebeke was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Hoebeke entered the University of Chicago in 1893 and received a B.A. on April 1, 1895. Hoebeke continued at the University during the Spring of 1895, and again in the Summer of 1902, however no further degrees were conferred. Little is known about Hoebeke aside from his correspondence in the form of five letters to his cousin, Cornelia Hoebeke, while he was a student at the university.

In one of his earliest letters, Hoebeke gushes about the caliber of the professors at the university and all the advantages that come with an elite education: “The professors are the smartest men I have ever seen or heard. I had never thought that there were such smart men. I cannot now tell you of all the advantages of such an institution as this.”

The Cornelius J. Hoebeke Papers may be viewed online or in the Special Collections Research Center in the University of Chicago Library.