James W. Wheaton’s interest in Tappan Adney began with Wheaton’s wife, Joan Adney Dragon, the granddaughter of Tappan Adney. He completed the first draft of the Adney biography before passing it on to Ted Behne. Although an electrical engineer by trade, his passion for genealogy, history, and writing led to him serving as president of the Hingham Historical Society (Hingham, MA). His transcription and annotation of the letters and journals of Dr. Charles Brackett — a distant relative —— was published as Surgeon on Horseback.