The exact words
“A parent gives life, but as parent, gives no more. A murderer takes life, but his deed stops there. A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.”Henry Adams, The Education of Henry Adams, chapter 20, “Failure (1871)”
✓ VerifiedFound in a primary source: the original book, speech transcript, letter or recording.
What people get wrong
Common reading
A simple, warm compliment to teachers.
A simple, warm compliment to teachers.
Closer to the original
Adams is weighing the responsibility, not just the honor. The surrounding passage compares a teacher's influence to a parent's and a murderer's, and worries about teachers who teach falsehood with the same lasting effect.
Adams is weighing the responsibility, not just the honor. The surrounding passage compares a teacher's influence to a parent's and a murderer's, and worries about teachers who teach falsehood with the same lasting effect.
Timeline
- 1870–1877Henry Adams teaches medieval and American history at Harvard, introducing new methods such as the graduate seminar.
- 1907Adams privately prints his autobiography, written in the third person, for a few friends. In the chapter on his Harvard years he reflects on what teaching does.
- 1918The book is published after his death and wins the Pulitzer Prize in 1919.
Use it in a speech
Henry Adams wrote that a teacher affects eternity, and can never tell where his influence stops. Yours won't stop with me. Thank you for this year.
~8 secondsto say aloud
Pausenone needed in a card
Best spotthe end-of-year card
Henry Adams said a teacher affects eternity and can never tell where their influence stops. After thirty-two years and thousands of students, we can tell you: it doesn't.
~11 secondsto say aloud
Pauseafter “where their influence stops”
Best spotthe retirement speech for a teacher
Henry Adams wrote that a teacher affects eternity. Before we leave, let's thank the teachers whose influence will go with us wherever we go.
~8 secondsto say aloud
Pauseafter “affects eternity”
Best spotthe thank-yous
Questions people ask
Who said “A teacher affects eternity”?
Henry Adams, in The Education of Henry Adams, chapter 20.
What is the full line?
“A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.”
Cite this quote
These cite the original source directly, so you can use them in an essay or paper. Always check your teacher's required style.
MLAAdams, Henry. The Education of Henry Adams. Chapter 20, “Failure ”. privately printed 1907, published 1918. Project Gutenberg, www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2044.
APAAdams, H. (1907). The Education of Henry Adams. Project Gutenberg. https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2044
CHICAGOHenry Adams, The Education of Henry Adams, Chapter 20, “Failure ”, privately printed 1907, published 1918.
IN TEXT (APA)(Adams, 1907)