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Dr. White pursued post-graduate studies at the Sorbonne, the College de France and the University of Berlin (1853-54) and was attaché of the United States Legation at the Russian court (1854-55). Returning to America he prosecuted ad- vanced courses at Yale, from which he received his Master's degree in 1856 and membership in the Phi Beta Kappa soci- ety, (whose orator he was at Vermont University in 1860, at Yale in 1862, at Brown in 1876, and at Dartmouth in 1906), and an invitation to an art profes- sorship in his Alma Mater; but, declin- ing this, he accepted a call to the chair of History and English Literature in the University of Michigan in 1857, which he occupied until 1863, inspiring enthu- siasm by his magnetic drawing, and a cordial affection for himself among his classes, and aiding in the advancement of the University, as well as fortify- ing his faith in the "New Education," of which Michigan was, even then, a shining ensample, at the instance of Chan- cellor Tappan, and which Professor White was to vindicate splendidly at Cornell. He was lecturer on history at Michigan, and also at the universities of Pennsylva- nia, Leland Stanford, Jr., and Tulane (1863-67).
In 1859, he married Mary A., daughter of Peter Outwater, lawyer and banker, one of the fairest maidens of Syracuse, a gracious help-meet to her husband in the lettered, political and courtly circles in which he moved "from high to higher, a cultured gentlewoman and charming hostess. She died at Ithaca in 1887. Early in 1863 Dr. White resigned his chair in Michigan University, regained his legal residence in Syracuse and made an extended tour in Europe, publishing,
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while in England, a timely and patriotic pamphlet entitled, "A Word from the Northwest-A Letter to William Howard Russell," the renowned war correspondent, who in his "Diary," with marked sympa- thy for the cause of the Confederacy, had made gross misrepresentations of the intelligence and lettered foundations of the North, as contrasted with those of the South. The "Northwest," a crushing refutation of the ill-informed and ill- disposed correspondent, was extensively circulated, did much to remove false im- pressions and brought its author into national and even international repute. He had even before this made his mark in the magazines, having contributed to the "Atlantic Monthly" in 1862, "The Statesmanship of Richelieu," and "Jef- ferson and Slavery."
In the fall of 1863, he was elected, as a Republican, from the twenty-second (Onondaga) district to the State Senate and was reelected in 1865. In that body, he took a leading place, addressing it, from time to time, on various matters of import, being especially able and service- able as chairman of the Committee on Education. Contracting a warm friend- ship with Ezra Cornell, a fellow senator, and sympathizing deeply with him in his purpose to establish an institution of higher learning in Central New York, Senator White was notably persuasive in securing legislation proper and competent to that end. The story goes that White endeavored, in the first instance, to have the intended university erected in Syra- cuse and pledged, in that event, half his very considerable fortune to its endow- ment, in addition to the princely benefi- cences of Cornell, if the latter would con- Throughout, he held courses at Cornell and his literary output in addresses, peri- odicals and pamphlets, upon various themes was of as high quality, as it was sent to change the plan from that pro- posed, viz., to locate it in Ithaca, his home town, saying that he (White) would increase Cornell's gifts by the copious. A partial list of these herewith
amount indicated, but it was located as originally designed by Cornell. But, so impressed was Cornell by White's admin- istrative, as well as scholarly, capacity, that he was tendered the presidency of the University; and thus Andrew D. White became, in 1866, its organizer and head, while Ezra Cornell remained its founder and chief benefactor.
Dr. White was president of Cornell University from 1866 until 1885, contin- uing, after his resignation, a trustee and as such engaged actively in its adminis- tration. His presidency is celebrated in the annals of American education, involv- ing, as it did so much of creative ken, as well as scholarly equipment and execu- tive capacity. Within a decade of its establishment, Cornell ranked among the foremost universities in the land-with its commanding site, its foundation in the voluntary system, its scope absolutely un- denominational, its free scholarships, its distinguished faculties and non-resident lectureships, the broadened courses of "the New Education," the endowed col- leges and noble buildings, the laboratories and the workshops and the library rich in assemblage and richer in promise. And of all this, the president, with due recog- nition of the great educators and liberal- handed donors, besides the founder, with whom he conferred, must be esteemed the chief architect. His personal gifts to the institution, during his tenure,, totalled $300,000; and, coincident with his retire- ment, he founded the School of History and Political Science that bears his name, presenting it also with his own historical library of over 30,000 volumes and 10,000 pamphlets and manuscripts.
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follows: Address on "Agricultural Edu- cation," New York State Agricultural Society (1869) ; "Outlines of a Course of Lectures on History," Cornell University (1870) ; "Manual Labor and School Work Combined" (1870) ; "Scientific and Indus- trial Education in the United States" (1874); "The Relations of the National and State Governments to Advanced Edu- cation" (1874) ; "Paper Money Inflation in France, How it Came, What it Brought and How it Ended" (1876)-a timely and enlightening pamphlet, of nation-wide cir- culation, mightily persuasive in subduing "the Greenback craze"-reprinted in 1896; "The Battlefields of Science" (1876), ap- pearing first serially in the "Science Monthly," revised, enlarged and entitled "History of the Warfare of Science with Theology in Chrisendom" (1895-97), and translated into French, Italian, Portugese and German, his most philosophical and elaborate work, a marvel of research; "Education in Political Science" (1879) ; Memorial Address on James Abram Gar- field (Ithaca, 1881); "On the Plan of Western Reserve University" and on "The Education of Freedmen"-two ad- dresses at Cleveland (1882) ; "The New Germany" (1882), reprinted in German ; "The Message of the Nineteenth Cen- tury to the Twentieth," address before the Class of '53 (Yale, 1883) ; on "Studies in General History and the History of Civilization" (American Historical Asso- ciation Papers, 1884) ; Memorial Address on Edward Lasker (1884); "What Pro- fession Shall I Choose" (1884) ; "Benjamin Silliman," oration at the unveiling of his statue (1885).
Since his resignation as President of Cornell, Dr. White has contributed many articles to magazines, delivered many addresses and published two works, at least, of enduring value. These latter are the "Autobiography of Andrew Dickson
White" (1905) and "The Warfare of Hu- manity with Unreason," including essays on Sarpi, Grotius, Thomasius, Turgot and Caxour (Scientific Monthly 1903-07), re- vised and published with additional chap- ters on Stein and Bismarck, as "Seven Great Statesmen in the Warfare of Hu- manity with Unreason" (1911). The auto- biography is one of the finest specimens of a most difficult species of composition in which many have failed, from either ina- bility or unwillingness to express prop- erly the gnothi scauthon. Dr. White's narrative is fascinating, as well as illumi- nating, from start to finish, frankly, yet modestly, revealing his own aspirations and achievements and vivid in its delinea- tion of the notable persons of two conti- nents with whom it has been his privilege to associate. Reviews of it has been uni- formly applausive and it has wide circula- tion. The "Warfare of Humanity and Unreason" is a ripe and intensive study of the character and service rendered the State and humanity by certain illustrious European statesmen and publicists, each happily selected from among the repre- sentative men of four centuries; and, although necessarily condensed, is among the most authoritative historical publica- tions of the day in accurate statement, sound estimate and sinewy rhetoric. His standing as a scholar is attested by the many honorary degrees bestowed upon him by leading universities of America and Great Britain, viz .: Doctor of Laws, Michigan (1867), Cornell (1886), Yale (1887), St. Andrews (1902), Johns Hop- kins (1902), Dartmouth (1906), Hobart (1911) and trustee thereof (1866-77) ; Doc- tor of Letters, Columbia (1887) ; Doctor of Philosophy, Jena, Germany (1889) ; and D. C. L., Oxford (1902). Dr. White has been and still is interested actively in the affairs of many learned and philanthropic bodies. He has, for many years, been a
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Regent of the Smithsonian Institution ; is a trustee of the Carnegie Institute for Research, and of the Carnegie Peace Endowment; he was the first president and has always been prominent in the councils of the American Historical Asso- ciation, has been president of the Amer- ican Social Science Association, is a mem- ber of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and of the American Philo- sophical Association and an Elector in the Hall of Fame. He is an officer of the Legion of Honor of France, and holder of the royal gold medal of Prussia for Arts and Sciences.
Coincidently with his educational serv- ice, Andrew D. White has had a highly honorable political career, which must be sketched briefly. Known in his college days as an Abolitionist and crossing swords with the Southern students, of whom there was a considerable number at Yale, he identified himself with the Republican party at its birth, and has ever been an earnest and consistent cham- pion of its principles. His senatorial tenure has been noticed previously. He was a delegate to the Republican National Convention of 1864, advocating the re- nomination of Lincoln; of 1872, favoring the renomination of Grant ; and of 1884, desiring the nomination of Edmunds, but faithfully supporting Blaine in the can- vass. He was chairman of the Republi- can State Convention at Syracuse in 1871 and a presidential elector in 1872; a com- missioner to Santo Domingo in 1871, ap- proving President Grant's scheme for its annexation to the United States ; member of the jury of public instruction at the Centennial Exposition of 1876 at Philadel- phia and honorary commissioner at the Paris Exposition of 1878. He was Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipoten- tiary to Germany, 1879-81, succeeding Bayard Taylor, taking his place in that
distinguished group of American authors, embracing Irving, Bancroft, Motley, Low- ell, Taylor and Bigelow, in whose diplo- matic appointments various Presidents have shown their courtesy to letters. President Harrison commissioned him as minister plenipotentiary to Russia in 1892, which he resigned 1894; and Presi- dent Mckinley in 1897 made him ambas- sador to Germany, regarded as the second most honorable distinction in the diplo- matic service, in the gift of the govern- ment. Therein he remained for the ensu- ing six years, rendering valuable service, especially in arranging satisfactorily the commercial relations of the two govern- ments, with the friendliest association with the embassies of other nations, with statesmen and savants and with signal imperial recognition. Devoted to the cause of international amity he was presi- dent of the American delegation to the first peace congress at the Hague in 1879 and has, since his retirement from official life, through his membership in the Car- negie Endowment, the Mohonk Lake Conference, and in addresses and articles. continued this work, sadly disappointed at its interruption by the horrors of war on European soil.
In 1890, Dr. White married Helen daughter of Dr. Edward Hicks Magill, president of Swarthmore College, Penn- sylvania, herself well known as an accom- plished classical scholar and educator, having taken degrees at Swarthmore Col- lege (A. B. 1873) and at the Boston Uni- versity (Ph. D. 1877), and completed her preparation for the profession of teaching by taking the full course in classical honors of Cambridge University, Eng- land (classical tripos 1881). She was en- gaged in teaching for some years before her marriage, having organized the How- ard Seminary at West Bridgewater, Mas- sachusetts, in 1883, at which time she
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held the position of secretary of the New England Association of Colleges and Pre- paratory Schools. Of late years she has been active as a member of the commit- tee on educational legislation of the Western New York Branch of the Asso- ciation of Collegiate Alumnae, especially on behalf of a betterment of the condition of the New York State Normal Schools. In her congenial companionship he is liv- ing in the presidential mansion on the Cornell campus, which he has given to the University, reserving a life tenancy for himself, among his books and lettered associations, varied by travel at home and abroad, still engaged in literary work and has received and accepted from Pres- ident Wilson an appointment as the American Commissioner, in the Treaty of Peace with China.
Dr. White has two surviving children and three grandchildren ;. Mrs. Ervin S. Ferry (Ruth Mary White), wife of the head of the department of Physics of Purdue University, Indiana, has one sur- viving daughter, Grace Helen Ferry. Two sons, Andrew White Newberry and Ar- thur Cleaveland Newberry, survivors of Dr. White's oldest daughter (Clara White Newberry ), are graduates of Cornell Uni- versity and the former also of the Colum- bia School of Mines. Mr. White's young- est daughter, Karin, born in Helsingfors, Finland, 1893, during his mission to Rus- sia, was graduated at Vassar College (A. B. 1915).
PATTERSON, Benjamin, Attorney-at-Law.
Among the notable lawyers of New York is Benjamin Patterson, born in Al- bany, December 23, 1859, the son of Al- fred and Barbara (Sheeline) Patterson. He was admitted to the bar in 1880, re- moved to New York City, where he has practiced with increasing success for
thirty-five years. Mr. Patterson has been retained in many intricate and important cases wherein he was confronted by the leaders of the bar both in the Federal and the State courts. He is as well known to members of the legal profession throughout the country as he is to the New York bar. He has been counsel in many leading cases, State and Federal, such as Colon vs. Lisk ; People vs. Sher- lock; Peterson vs. Delaware, Lacka- wanna & Western Railroad, and many others familiar to the profession. Mr. Patterson is a member of the Society of International Law; American, State and County Bar associations, and the New York Press Club. He has written largely on questions of legal interest that lie out- side the pale of conventionality.
FOWLER, Purdy A.,
Manufacturer.
On December 1, 1885, a new firm was born in the city of Rochester, New York, the Langslow-Fowler Company, that now, thirty-one years later, is one of the solid, substantial manufacturing houses of the city. To that house came Purdy A. Fowler as junior partner, a young man of thirty-four, a practical mechanic and experienced furniture salesman, having covered the United States from the At- lantic to the Pacific as representative of a Boston furniture manufactory. With such equipment he was a valuable addi- tion and in all the great developments of the company he has been a potent factor. As furniture manufacturers the Langs- low-Fowler Company rank high with the trade for perfection of goods made in their plant and for their upright man- agement of the office departments.
Mr. Fowler comes from distinguished Westchester county, New York, families, the Fowlers and Drakes figuring largely in Colonial and Revolutionary history.
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The maternal ancestor, John Drake, came from England to Windsor, Connec- ticut, in 1630. A descendant, Elizabeth Drake, married John Fowler and left issue, including a son, Hiram Fowler. Elizabeth (Drake) Fowler was a daugh- ter of Dr. Nathaniel and Jane Ann (Drake) Drake, the latter a daughter of Jeremiah Drake, a Revolutionary soldier, and his wife, Frances (Purdy) Drake. Dr. Nathaniel Drake was a son of Lieu- tenant Gilbert Drake, a Revolutionary officer, a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1777 and a judge in 1778. He married Ruth Tompkins and among their children was Dr. Nathaniel Drake, father of Elizabeth Drake, wife of John Fowler, the latter the parents of Hiram Fowler and grandparents of Purdy A. Fowler, of Rochester, now vice-president of the Langslow-Fowler Company, manu- facturers of furniture. Hiram Fowler was a farmer of Westchester county, New York, his estate situated at Yorktown. He married Mary Goetschius, born in Rockland county, New York.
Their son, Purdy A. Fowler, was born at the home farm at Yorktown, West- chester county, New York, December 27, 1851, but at the age of four years his parents moved to Peekskill, New York. He attended Peekskill public schools until 1866, then for two years was clerk in the village store. That life did not appeal to him, and from the age of seven- teen to twenty-two he worked at the car- penter's trade as apprentice and journey- man. His ambition was not yet satisfied and in 1873 he made a radical change, going to Boston and then, after becoming familiar with furniture manufacture, lay- ing aside his tools and becoming a travel- ing salesman. During the next decade he sold furniture all over the United States, becoming thoroughly familiar with the business and well acquainted with the re- tail dealers of the many cities he visited
in his semi-annual trips from Boston to San Francisco. In 1885 he united with H. A. and S. C. Langslow in forming the Langslow-Fowler Company and on De- cember I of that year they began busi- ness in Rochester as furniture manufac- turers. The Langslows, father and son, were experienced in both the manufac- ture and sale of furniture, both having been members of the I. H. Dewey Furni- ture Company, Henry A. Langslow, the father, as vice-president, the son, Strat- ton C. Langslow, as traveling salesman. Neither of the partners had anything to learn about the furniture business as then conducted and as the years have pro- gressed they have kept in closest touch with modern styles and methods, but as leaders not followers. In course of time the honored head, Henry A. Langslow, was gathered to his fathers, the younger partners reorganizing as a corporation with Stratton C. Langslow as president, Purdy A. Fowler as vice-president. The Langslow-Fowler Company conduct a very large business, the product of their Rochester plant going to all parts of the country.
Mr. Fowler is a member of the Masonic order, belonging to Genesee Falls Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons; Hamilton Chapter, Royal Arch Masons; and Mon- roe Commandery, Knights Templar. He is also affiliated with that social adjunct of Masonry, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and with the Veiled Prophets. He is fond of the social pleasures of life and is associated with his fellows in the Roches- ter Algonquin and Commercial clubs, having served the last named as presi- dent. In political faith he is a Repub- lican, interested in public affairs, but never has sought or desired public office. He ranks high as a business man and holds the esteem of all who know him as either a business man or citizen.
Mr. Fowler married, March 7, 1875, at
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Cold Spring, Putnam county, New York, Sarah Schults. They are the parents of two daughters, Mayme, now Mrs. Arthur J. Fisher, of Rochester, and Carrie Fowler ; a son, Purdy H. Fowler, married Grace Goodrich and resides in Rochester ; Edna, died aged seven years; Lily, died aged three years. The family home is at No. 843 Harvard street.
WESTERVELT, Zenas Freeman, Founder and Head of the Western New York School for Deaf Mutes.
Although born in the State of Ohio, Mr. Westervelt is of ancient New York family, the Westervelts early settling in the valley of the Hudson. His father, William B. Westervelt, was also born in Ohio, but his grandfather, William Wes- tervelt, was of Poughkeepsie, New York, as was his wife, Sarah (Bishop) Wester- velt. They later moved to Westerville, Ohio, where their son, William Bishop Westervelt, was born June 10, 1821, and died February 3, 1850. He married, March 14, 1844, Martha Freeman, born in Rushford, Allegany county, New York, October 4, 1819, died at Rochester, New York, February 27, 1896, daughter of Eli- jah Woodruff Freeman, of New Jersey , business experience was as clerk for one
family. Elijah W. Freeman was born in Newark, New Jersey, November 9, 1791, but spent his life from the age of six years until he was forty in New York, devoting his time to preaching the Gospel as an ordained minister from his thirtieth year. The latter years of his life were spent as a minister in Granville, Ohio, where with his brother-in-law, Jonathan Going, he was prominent in establishing the Baptist College located there. There he is buried. He married at Canan- daigua, New York, November 7, 1816, Sarah Going.
After the death of her husband, Mrs. Martha (Freeman ) Westervelt supported
herself and her only living son, Zenas F. Westervelt, by teaching in the Columbus schools. Later she was appointed matron of the Ohio State School for the Deaf, located at Columbus, and there continued for seventeen years. She was a woman of high courage, ability and wisdom, guiding her son's early life with loving patience, tenderness and firmness. She was the guiding force of his life for twenty years ere she joined her husband and two infant sons in the spirit land, but her influence has never died, and the life of the son is to-day being devoted to the same class of God's unfortunates to which she devoted seventeen years of her life, the care of an institution for the deaf and the dumb.
Zenas Freeman Westervelt was born in Columbus, Ohio, March 15, 1849, son of William Bishop and Martha (Free- man) Westervelt. His father died eleven months later, and until 1868 mother and son lived together at the State School of the Deaf in Columbus. Zenas F. Wester- velt began his education in the primary department of the public schools, and continued until all grades had been passed and a diploma received with the graduat- ing high school, class of 1868. His first of the contractors engaged in construct- ing the Hocking Valley railroad, a posi- tion he held until the completion of the road. After a term as agent for the White Line Fast Freight, and as clerk in the office of the American Express Company, at Columbus, he taught school for a year at Galena, Ohio, then spent a year as clerk in a Topeka, Kansas, bank, there remaining until August 29, 1871.
All this had been preparation for the real business of life, and in no way rep- resented his true aim and ambition. For seventeen years of his early life he had been familiar with the methods of in- structing the deaf in fact and lived in the
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institution in Columbus, of which Mrs. Westervelt was matron, and had, as he grew older, made a close study of the methods employed. The education of the deaf was destined to be his life work, and in the fall of 1871 he made his first en- trance into the profession he adorns. His first position was as a teacher in the Maryland State School for Deaf Mutes at Frederick, an institution then under the management of Charles W. Ely, prin- cipal. After two years as teacher under Principal Ely he taught for three years in the Fanwood Institute for the Deaf, Washington Heights, New York City, there remaining until 1876, when he came to Rochester as superintendent of the Western New York Institute for Deaf Mutes, a newly formed institution, made possible by the action of Rochester citi- zens, cooperating with Mr. Westervelt and his wife, who had formerly taught the daughter of one of Rochester's promi- nent families.
The institution is incorporated and was organized at a public meeting called by the mayor of Rochester, February 3, 1876, and while it is under the control of the State board of education and the su- pervision of the State board of charities, the school is a private one and owes its life and importance to its first and only superintendent and founder, Zenas F. Westervelt, and his wife. The school was started after its need had been dem- onstrated by means of a list of the deaf mutes in Western New York not in any school prepared by Mr. Westervelt, and its support was guaranteed by wealthy Rochester philanthropists. It was a suc- cess from the beginning, and in its sec- ond year moved to a larger building, the former Children's Home. Twenty-three pupils answered roll call on the first day the school was opened, the youngest five, the eldest twenty-three years of age. On
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