William Elliot Griffis

William Elliot Griffis, D.D., L.H. D. (1843-1928), was an American orientalist, author, and Congregational preacher. In September 1870, Griffis was invited to Japan for the purpose of organizing schools along Western lines. He prepared the New Japan Series of reading and spelling books and primers for Japanese students in the English language. He published 18 books on Japan and Japanese culture, wrote several hundred articles, and made numerous public lectures.

It wasn''t just Japan and the Orient he was interested in; in his lifetime, Griffis traveled to Europe 11 times, mainly to the Netherlands. He was a member of the committee of the Boston Congregational Club to erect a Pilgrim memorial at Delfshaven, the Netherlands, in 1909. In 1926, he returned to Japan to receive the Order of the Rising Sun. He died in 1928.

His works include The Religions of Japan (1895), Charles Carleton Coffin (1898), Dutch Fairy Tales for Young Folks (1918), and Welsh Fairy Tales (1921).