Jacob Abbott (1803-1879) was an American writer of children's books. A licensed minister, his career outside of writing included serving as a professor of mathematics and natural philosophy at Amherst College, founding the Mount Vernon School for Young Ladies in Boston in 1829, and founding (with his brothers) Abbott's Institute and the Mount Vernon School for Boys. Jacob Abbott was a prolific author, writing juvenile fiction, brief histories, biographies, religious books for the general reader, and a few works in popular science. His Rollo Books, such as Rollo at Work, Rollo at Play, Rollo in Europe, etc., are the best known of his writings, having as their chief characters a representative boy and his associates. Other works of note include Lucy Books, Jonas Books, Harper's Story Books, Marco Paul, Gay Family, and Juno Books. His brothers, John Stevens Cabot Abbott and Gorham Dummer Abbott, were also authors. His sons, Benjamin Vaughan Abbott, Austin Abbott, both eminent lawyers, Lyman Abbott, and Edward Abbott, a clergyman, were also well-known authors.