USA > Massachusetts > The story of western Massachusetts, Volume IV > Part 33
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Dr. Frank E. Dow married, on September 22, 1909, Marion Dole, daughter of John and Harriet (Wilde) Dole of Roxbury. Dr. and Mrs. Dow became the parents of four children: I. Eleanor, born August 4, 1910, in Boston. She is a graduate of the Mary A. Burnham School for Girls at Northampton, and the Massachusetts School of Art in Boston, and is a por- trait painter. She is married to Earl C. Green of Southbridge, now of Northampton and they are the parents of a son, David Colby. 2. Richard Wood-
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Franck & Dow
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man, born September 29, 1913, at Northampton; grad- uate of Northampton High School and the Bryant and Stratton School of Business Administration. He mar- ried Dorothy Dunning of West Roxbury, formerly a teacher at Smith College, in the department of phy- sical education. They are the parents of two children: i. Richard Woodman, Jr. ii. Philip Haywood. 3. Har- riet, born March 19, 1918, a graduate of Northampton High School and of Smith College, where she received her degree of Bachelor of Arts, "cum laude," in 1939. She was a member of the All-Smith Crew. She is married to John Gage Allee, Jr., of Montana and Washington, D. C. Mr. Allee received his degrees of Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts from George Washington University, and his Doctor of Philosophy degree from Johns Hopkins University. He was a cap- tain in the anti-aircraft during World War II, and served in the European Theater of Operations. He is now assistant professor in the English department of George Washington University, Washington, D. C. Mr. and Mrs. Allee have a son, John Gage, III. 4. Bar- bara, born August 20, 1922, a graduate of Northampton School for Girls, and of Jackson College for Women at Tufts, where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1945. She has also received a degree, Master of Religious Education from the Andover-Newton Theo- logical School at Newton. She is married to John Lan- der Merrill of Skowhegan, Maine, a veteran of World War II with service in the European Theater of Operations, and a graduate of Bowdoin College with the degree of Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, 1949. He is now studying law at Boston University.
WILLISTON ACADEMY-Famed old Williston Academy, college preparatory school for boys, situated in Easthampton, is entering the second century of its service to the cause of education in the East.
Founded in 1841 by Samuel Williston, prosperous industrial enterpriser, it began its life as Williston Seminary. Its founder was a pioneer maker of cov- ered buttons, whose industrial genius brought a new prosperity to his section of the country. History has accorded him as high a place in the annals of education as in manufacturing. His counsel was invaluable in the establishing of Mount Holyoke Seminary, later to become a college, and he was for thirty-three years a member of Amherst's board of trustees. His goal in the founding of Williston Seminary was "to provide Western Massachusetts with educational advantages equal to any in New England," and he requested the teachers of the budding institution to "form the char- acter that is best fitted to bless mankind." Devoted to these high purposes, Samuel Williston gave the funds which were used in building Williston Hall. The frame of the first building was raised July 1, 1841, and the Seminary opened its doors on December I of that year. A print of 1844 shows the Seminary as it stood then : a neat row of white buildings, Middle Hall and the original Seminary, and, of course, towering above them, the inevitable church spire, symbolic of the relative place of Christian doctrines in the teach- ings of the school. Surrounding it was a white picket fence, and at regulary spaced intervals were hopeful young saplings which today are among the mighty elms which enhance the beauty of the campus. Throughout the intervening century there have gone forth from that steadily changing campus, leaders in
all walks of life. "Cabinet members, senators, ambassa- dors; lawyers, doctors, engineers; farmers, inventors, heads of American industry; college presidents, edi- tors, and publishers;" thus the literature of the school enumerates them with pride. In four wars they have been among those who loyally went forth in the serv- ice of their country.
The growth of the campus during these years went on apace. Middle Hall had been built in 1844. The original building burned in 1857 and South Hall re- placed it. The Gymnasium, a cherished landmark, though now outmoded, was added in 1864. The next year saw the building of North Hall; and Payson Hall, which had been built as a hotel prior to 1845, was acquired by the academy in 1893 for dormitory purposes, to keep pace with the growth of the student body. Ford Hall, erected at the time of World War I, combines dormitory and dining facilities; and Willis- ton's newest hall, a recreation center, was built in 1929. This comprises the "old campus."
Williston now enters its second century. Under the able direction of its headmaster, Archibald V. Gal- braith, L. H. D., it looks forward with a faith which the realization of its past hopes and plans amply justifies. It has plotted an ambitious pro- gram for its future, yet holds clearly to its original objective: "the development of a boy as a member of society at ease with his fellows, conscious of their obligation to respect his personality but equally con- scious of his obligation to make his distinctive con- tribution to the needs and best interests of the com- munity." New construction is planned, new facilities to afford its students the best preparation for life in today's complex world. . Yet Williston holds to the theory of small classes and a maximum of individual attention, a true fraternal feeling between faculty members and students. Williston plans wisely and well, and is fully confident of a period of growth which will be a gratifying fulfillment of the aims of its founder.
Since 1919 the academy has had the privilege of having as its headmaster Archibald V. Galbraith, whose experience and qualifications particularly suited him for this task. A former teacher, athletic coach, and educational administrator, he had learned through his own years what constitutes the well-rounded life which a preparatory school should foster in its stud- ents.
Born at Boxford, Massachusetts, September 22, 1877, Archibald Victor Galbraith was the son of Colonel Frederic William and Abbie Clark (Sayward) Gal- braith. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree at Harvard in 1899, and took postgraduate work there in the summer of 1903. During 1905-06 he attended the University of Munich, Germany. He has since been awarded the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters. He taught mathematics and coached athletics at Milton Academy, 1899-1900, and was on the faculty of Wil- liam Penn Charter School, in Philadelphia from 1900 to 1903. During 1902 he was head coach of the Har- vard baseball team. He taught mathematics and Ger- man, coached athletics, and was in charge of one of the dormitories at Middlesex School in Concord, be- tween 1903 and 1919; and from this full preparation he came to Williston as its headmaster in 1919, and has served the school with distinction since. Dr. Gal- braith is a trustee of the Clarke School for the Deaf; a member and former president of the Association of
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Mathematics Teachers of New England, and a mem- ber and former president of the Headmasters' Asso- ciation of the United States. He belongs to Phi Beta Kappa and Delta Upsilon fraternities, and is a Ro- tarian. His church is the Unitarian, and he is a Re- publican in his politics.
Dr. Archibald Victor Galbraith married, June 29, 1905, Helen Ecob McIntosh. They became the parents of three children: I, Frederic McIntosh. 2. Margaret, now deceased. 3. Douglas. Dr. Galbraith's home is in Easthampton.
RALPH MONROE O'CONNELL-Long active in the automotive distribution and maintenance busi- of Pittsfield, Ralph Monroe O'Connell has contributed much toward the growth and development of this city.
Mr. O'Connell was born May 12, 1891, at Pittsfield, son of Bartholomew F. and Mercy (Gardner) O'Con- nell. His father was engaged in railroading with the Boston and Albany Railroad.
Mr. O'Connell received his education in the local schools of Pittsfield. In 1908, he became associated with the New England Telephone and Telegraph Company in line and installation work. He remained with this firm until 1916, at which time he entered the automotive field and opened a small garage on Union Street. Business increased due to his good judgment and able leadership, and in January, 1918, he took over the Old Mills Garage. Three years later he moved to his present location on South Street. He has been associated since 1916 with Arthur C. Johnson in the enterprise, which is known as the Berkshire Auto Company, Incorporated. In addition to all his duties in garage work, he acts as distributor for Cadillac, Oldsmobile, and General Motors Corpo- ration trucks.
Mr. O'Connell is active in civic affairs and served one term as councilman in the Pittsfield city govern- ment. He is a charter member of the Kiwanis Club, and holds memberships in the Union League Club of New Haven, Connecticut, and the Pittsfield Country Club. Fraternally, he belongs to the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. In religious preference he is a protestant and attends both St. Stephen's Episcopal Church and St. Mark's Church.
WILLIAM EDWARD GROHE-In Springfield, where his business is located, and in Longmeadow, where he makes his home, William Edward Grohe is known for his activity in not only the business life of the community but also the civic, social and fra- ternal. In the years he has been branch manager in Springfield for the National Cash Register Company, the staff of the branch and the floor area occupied by it has tripled-an indication of the results of his able management. He is a veteran of World War I and has participated in veterans' affairs.
Mr. Grohe was born in Boston on July 19, 1895, the son of Herman and Theresa Grohe. His father, who was in the shoe business in Boston most of his life, was born in Alsace-Lorraine in 1860 and died in 1930. The mother, born in Boston in 1875, died in Lynn in I940.
Following his education in Boston's elementary
schools, English High School, and extension courses in accountancy, Mr. Grohe went to work with the Simplex Heating Company in 1912, and was assigned to the firm's testing department. During the next five years Mr. Grohe was associated with several organi- zations, but in 1917 when the United States became involved in World War I, he resigned his position with the Boston Consolidated Gas Company to enlist in the Navy.
He entered the service on June 6, 1917, and trained in the Navy's Commissary School in Boston. Made a chief petty officer, he served as steward on the U.S.S. "Mount Vernon" until March, 1918, when he was transferred to Naval Aviation. He was with the fly- ing arm of the Navy for an entire year, ending March, 1919, and then was transferred to a camp in Liver- pool, England, after which he served aboard the U.S.S. "Imperator," later known as the "Majestic." During the conflict Mr. Grohe made six Atlantic crossings. He was released from active duty in June, 1919, and received his honorable discharge in June, 1921.
In 1921, Mr. Grohe returned to Boston and re- sumed his civilian career by joining the sales staff of the National Cash Register Company. In the next two years he worked up to district salesman and finally to branch manager at Springfield. He has held the branch managership since 1935, and in the years following his appointment to this post has be- come well-known in Western Massachusetts.
The range of Mr. Grohe's interests is suggested by his affiliations. These include the American Legion and a variety of Masonic bodies, including the Long- meadow Lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons; the Connecticut Valley Consistory, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, in which he holds the thirty-second degree; the Springfield Council, Royal and Select Masons; the Springfield Commandery, No. 6, Knights Templar; Melha Temple, Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, Springfield, of which Mr. Grohe is past potentate. He is also active in the Royal Order of Jesters, of which he is past di- rector; the Rotary Club of Springfield, the Springfield Chamber of Commerce, the National Federation of Sales Executives, the Springfield Sales Managers Club, the Longmeadow Men's Club, of which he is a former president; the Springfield Stamp Club and the Ameri- can Air Mail Society. As indicated by his member- ship in the two last-named organizations, he is an ardent philatelist. In politics he is a Republican, in religion a member of the First Church of Christ, Longmeadow.
On April 22, 1932, in Boston, Mr. Grohe married Ina Genevieve Nevins. Mrs. Grohe was born in Washington, D. C., and educated in the elementary and high schools of Somerville, Massachusetts. Mr. and Mrs. Grohe are the parents of a son, William Edward, Jr., who is at present a student at Phillips Andover Academy. By a former marriage Mr. Grohe has a daughter, Bernice Elizabeth, now the wife of Dr. Joseph H. Krug and residing in Englewood, New Jersey. Dr. and Mrs. Krug are the parents of a son and daughter, Ernest J. Krug, III, and Pamela D. Krug.
FREDERICK MACDONALD KINGSBURY- Recognized as a leading member of the bar in Western
William E. Grohe
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Massachusetts, Frederick Macdonald Kingsbury is a native New Englander descended from a Revolutionary soldier. He is a member of the law firm of Ely, King, Kingsbury and Lyman, with offices at 1387 Main Street, Springfield. Mr. Kingsbury is a veteran of World War I.
He was born in Keene, New Hampshire, on Decem- ber 4, 1898, the son of Frederick E. and Louise K. (Macdonald) Kingsbury. His father, a banker also born at Keene, died there in June, 1905, at the age of thirty-eight, of injuries suffered in an automobile acci- dent. He was a Republican and a member of the Episcopal Church. His parents were Chester L. and Sarah (Joslin) Kingsbury, both natives of Keene, who died there. Chester Kingsbury was a manufacturer. He was the son of Albert and Ann (Lyman) Kings- bury, another couple born in Keene. It was Albert Kingsbury's grandfather, Nathaniel, of Keene, for- merly of Wrentham, who fought in the American Revolution. The present Mr. Kingsbury's mother, Louise K. (Macdonald) Kingsbury, was the daughter of Ranald and Louise (Sullivan) Macdonald. Her father, a native of Scotland, was a clothing manufac- turer and merchant in Keene, where he died. His wife, who also died in that New Hampshire com- munity, was a native of Dorchester.
Frederick Macdonald Kingsbury was educated at Phillips Academy, Andover, Yale University and the Harvard University School of Law. He was gradu- ated from the academy in 1916. In 1920 he took the degree of Bachelor of Arts at Yale and in 1924 that of Bachelor of Laws at Harvard. He was admitted to the New Hampshire bar in 1924, and to the Massachu- setts bar in 1926. For a year he practiced law at Keene. Leaving his native community and state, he moved to Springfield to associate himself with the law firm of Ely and Ely. In 1928 he was made a member of the firm, which changed its name to Ely, Kingsbury and Ely. Subsequently, the firm assumed its present style, Ely, King, Kingsbury and Lyman.
Mr. Kingsbury is a Republican and a member of Christ Church Cathedral, of the Episcopal denomina- tion. At college he was a member of Psi Upsilon and Elihu. He is also a member of the Colony Club of Springfield.
In World War I, Mr. Kingsbury entered the United States Army Corps of Engineers in the summer of 1917. After training in Boston, he went overseas in September, 1917, as a member of the 10Ist Engineers. He was returned to the United States in July, 1919, and honorably discharged, with the rank of corporal.
Mr. Kingsbury's diversions are hunting and fishing. He married Mrs. Lucia (Coy) Humes in Spring- field, on July 20, 1946. A native of Baltimore, Mary- land, Mrs. Kingsbury is the daughter of George and Nannie (Gordon) Coy. She is a graduate of Visitation Convent School, Baltimore, and a member of the Junior League of Springfield.
Mr. Kingsbury is the father of two children by a former marriage: I. Jane, born on July 6, 1926, who was graduated from Suffield High School in 1943 and attended Cornell University for two years. 2. Mary Louise, born on August 4, 1928, who was graduated from the Emma Willard School at Troy, New York, and in 1947 entered Bennington College, Bennington, Vermont.
FRANK SEAMAN VALENTINE-Although he turned aside at one time to engage in agriculture, Frank Seaman Valentine's career has been mainly identified with the building business, ranging from journeyman carpenter to his current activities as executive of companies engaged in the contracting and building trades. To a large extent he has been the creator of houses and public structures that testify to his works, and he is a public-spirited citizen.
Mr. Valentine was born at Freeport, Long Island, New York, May 21, 1873, son of John S. and Phoebe J. (Seaman) Valentine, both natives of Long Island. John S. Valentine, son of Robert and Elizabeth (Sea- man) Valentine, was born at Freeport, October 7, 1835, and died on March 24, 1921. He was a wheel- wright and later a carpenter; attended the Methodist Church and was a Republican in political faith. Robert Valentine, born about 1794, died at Smithville, Long Island, in 1873, aged seventy-nine years. The first member of the family of record was Richard Valen- tine, who came from Eccles, Lancashire, England, in 1745, and was one of the first settlers and original owners of Hempstead, Long Island, where he was an influential citizen and Quaker. His sons were Richard, William, Ephraim, Obadiah and Jonah Valentine.
After attending the schools of Freeport, Frank Sea- man Valentine became an apprentice carpenter. After some five or six years in this occupation, he came to the Springfield region of Western Massachusetts, where four years before the turn of the century he started farming. He acquired a herd of cows, planned his plantings on the basis of producing crops that would conserve feeding costs, and in the field of dis- tribution established his own milk routes. After two years of this endeavor he returned to the building trade, as a general contractor. He hauled material, handled pavement contracts and built within a rela- tively short time, some thirty houses in Springfield, which he sold to various buyers. He specialized in excavating until 1915, when he purchased the property now occupied by the Valentine Lumber Company.
Frank S. Valentine was the founder of the Valen- tine Lumber Company and was its president until 1943, when he disposed of it to other interests. He also established the concrete business in connection with his lumber interests in 1930. The modern plant of the Valentine Concrete Company was completed in 1944, and the company has a branch at Westfield, and one at Northampton. Mr. Valentine is vice presi- dent of Western Massachusetts Sand and Gravel, Inc. Politically he is a Republican of independent tenden- cies; is a popular figure in the Springfield Chamber of Commerce. He worships in the faith of the First Congregational Church, of Springfield, and is liberal in the support of religious and charitable projects.
On July 24, 1946, Frank Seaman Valentine married (second) Mrs. Donna A. (Thompson) Willard, a native of Danville, Canada, daughter of Charles and Flora Thompson, her father a retired electrician. Mrs. Valentine was educated in the public schools of Dan- ville and a college in Montreal. She is a member of the Baptist Church, and of the Order of the Eastern Star, at St. Johnsbury, Vermont. By a previous mar- riage, Mr. Valentine has two children: 1. Cora Mil- dred (Valentine) Kelso, who resides with her hus- band in Florida. Mr. and Mrs. Kelso are the parents
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of five children: i. Charlotte, who married Winslow Hall, and has a daughter, Katherine Hall. ii. Robert; iii. Donald, who is married and has a son Richard Kelso; iv. Mildred; and v. Joyce Kelso. 2. Ruby Louise, who married Ray Munford, of Monson, and they have two sons: i. Victor, who served in the United States Navy, World War II; and ii. Vincent Carman, who served in the United States Marine Corps.
JUDGE JOHN AVERY DENISON-One of Springfield's most distinguished citizens was the late John Avery Denison, senior judge of probate in the Hampden County Probate Court, who died March 7, 1948, at the age of seventy-two. Judge Denison had served the city of Springfield as president of the com- mon council, president of the board of aldermen, and mayor, and had been register of probate for nine years before he was appointed to the bench in 1929.
Mr. Denison was born August 17, 1875 at Chicopee, the son of George Avery and Elizabeth Monroe (Cha- pin) Denison and the descendant on both paternal and maternal sides of old New England families. On the paternal side he was a descendant of William Deni- son, who settled in Roxbury in 1631. William's son George "served in Colonial Warfare under Cromwell, returning to Roxbury and from there moving to Stonington, where he led the settlers against the Indians." David Denison, a descendant of George, served as an officer in the American Revolution. On his mother's side Judge Denison was a descendant of Deacon Samuel Chapin, one of the pioneers who settled Springfield.
John Avery Denison attended the Springfield public schools, graduating from the old Springfield High School in 1894. He then entered Harvard College, from which he graduated in 1898, serving as an editor of the "Harvard Crimson." During vacations at Col- lege and at the Harvard Law School, where he studied for two years, Judge Denison worked as a reporter on the "Springfield Republican," and he spent a year on the staff of that paper immediately following his graduation from Harvard Law School in 1900. In the session of 1898 to 1899 he served as secretary to Congressman Frederick H. Gillette, later United States Senator from Massachusetts. In 1902 he was admitted to the Massachusetts bar and entered upon the practice of his profession.
Judge Denison had lived in Springfield from the age of five, when his family had moved there from Chico- pee, and as a young lawyer took a very active interest in municipal affairs. In the autumn of 1907 he was elected to the common council from Ward Four, on the Republican ticket, and during his two years in the lower council served as a member of the finance committee, the river front advisory committee and as president. He was then elected to the board of aldermen two years later, in 1909, and served for three years, being elected president of the board in his second term. At the time of the Republican caucus in No- vember, 1911, when he was to be renominated, a news- paper editorial threw a vivid light on his attitude to- ward municipal government. "Mr. Denison's attitude in favor of independent service to the city without re- gard to party considerations," ran this comment, " is not pleasing to a coterie of politicians, and they are redoubling their efforts this year." Nevertheless he was renominated and elected, and in 1912 he was
elected mayor of Springfield on the Republican ticket, serving in 1913 and 1914. It was during his term of office that Springfield's widely praised municipal group was dedicated, in 1913.
After serving two years as mayor, Mr. Denison again resumed his law practice. In 1920 he was ap- pointed by Governor Calvin Coolidge to fill a va- cancy in the office of register of probate for Hampden County, and was voted into that office in the next election, serving as register for nine years under Judge Charles L. Long. In October, 1929, following Judge Long's retirement from the bench, Mr. Denison was appointed judge of probate and insolvency by Gov- ernor Frank G. Allen. He served as the only judge of probate until 1936, but since the work of the tribunal had been greatly expanded soon after he as- sumed office, an assistant judge was eventually ap- pointed and Judge Denison was named senior judge. He filled this post until a few days before his death in 1948.
Serving as he did for almost twenty years as judge of the probate court, Judge Denison was well known and very highly regarded. "As a judge he was notable as an advocate of correct procedure," declared one of the Springfield newspapers in a column of reminiscences at the time of his death. "He insisted that witnesses be suitably dressed when they appeared in his court, and sharply reprimanded one witness for chewing gum while testifying. In December, 1934, he twice ordered the removal of a Milford attorney from Pro- bate Court when the court took offense at the manner in which he was presenting a will case. After the second eviction, Judge Denison warned the lawyer that further actions which the court considered as contempt would be dealt with severely. The attorney later re- turned and tried the case without difficulty but with propriety.
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