1894 Class Annalist’s Letter
Theodore Collier
Delivered: June 1944
The Class of 1894 entered college with 43 men. Of the 23 who graduated only 10 now survive. Their careers since graduation are briefly as follows:
Edwin C. Baker was admitted to the Bar in 1897, and, until his retirement a few years ago on account of ill health, practiced law in Utica, at one time in partnership with Dwight H. Colegrove, also a member of the Class of 1894. He is at present living in New Hartford, N.Y.
Nicholas S. Becker graduated from Auburn Theological Seminary in 1898, and entered the ministry. He spent a year in city mission work and held pastorates in Presbyterian churches successively in Otego, N.Y., New Preston, Conn., Passaic, N.J., and Suffern, N.Y., where he is now living. He has been active in organizing and conducting bible conferences, and also as director of the Dorwillen Christian Camp for Boys and Girls at Suffern. He has two children living, a son and a daughter.
Theodore Collier taught in preparatory schools, 1894-99; graduated from Union Seminary in 1902; studied in Germany, 1902-04; received his doctor’s degree at Cornell in 1906; taught European History at Williams College, 1805-11; and since then has been at Brown University as professor of history and international relations, and from 1917 to 1939, head of the Department of History. He was visiting professor at Constantinople College, 1924-25, has travelled extensively in Europe and the Near East, and has contributed to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the Dictionary of American Biography and various historical journals. In 1928 he received an honorary L.H.D. from Hamilton. He has been on the Common Council of the city of Providence and active in numerous civic organizations. In 1918-19 he was in YMCA service with the American army in France. He has a daughter, Harriott S. Collier, executive secretary of the British Petroleum office, Washington; a son, Lieut. John S. Collier, U.S.N.R.; and two grandchildren.
Warren H. Everett took his M.D. degree in 1899 at the Medical School of New York University, taught there for a time as instructor in biology and later in the Albany Medical School, and then “hung out his shingle” in Peru, N.Y., where he has been in active practice until a year or two ago and where he is still living.
Cornelius J. Gibson went into a large lumber and millwork business in Utica, with his father, and after the latter’s death in 1906, carried it on until ill health necessitated his retirement a few years ago. He still makes his home in Utica.
Thomas J. Mangan has been practicing law in Binghamton, N.Y., since his admission to the Bar in 1896. His firm, Mangan and Mangan, represents the Standard Oil Company of N.Y. and various other corporations. He has been a member of the Regents of the University of New York since 1919, and chancellor since 1937, the third Hamilton graduate to occupy that position. He is also a director of the Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Syracuse, and has received the honorary degree of LL.D. from Hamilton and also from Manhattan College and St. John ’s College. He has two sons, C. Everts Mangan, in charge of the State Education Department in New York City, now in training for a commission in the U.S. Naval Reserve; William D. Mangan, Hamilton ’30, assistant counsel to the petroleum industry; a daughter, Catherine Mangan Maguire, M.D.; and three grandchildren.
Arthur M. Payne, our valedictorian and gatherer-in of prizes and honors, chose the law, was duly admitted to the Bar and set up his office in Middletown, N.Y., where he is still in active practice. He has been a justice of the peace and also recorder of the city of Middletown.
Oren Root (whose family name is almost synonymous with Hamilton) entered the field of public utilities and rose rapidly to become in 1902 the operating head of all the surface railway lines in New York City, and later general manager, director and member of the executive committee of the New York City Railway, president of the Hudson and Manhattan R.R. Co., president of the Central Crosstown R.R., president of the Republic Ry. and Electric Light Co., chairman of the board of the Central States Electrical Corp., director of the Missouri Pacific R.R., the Texas and Pacific Ry., and various other corporations. He has two children and a grandson. His son, Oren Root, Jr., who took a prominent part in the Willkie campaign in 1940, is a lieutenant commander in the U.S.N.R.
Ralph W. Vincent, after teaching in the Mt. Hermon School and the Greenwich Academy, entered business and for nearly 40 years was railroad editor of the News Bureau Association in New York. He was also a regular contributor to the Commercial and Financial Chronicle, the Magazine of Wall Street and the Christian Science Monitor, and wrote market letters for the New York Stock Exchange and numerous articles on railway subjects. He made frequent trips to Mexico, was confidential representative of the Diaz government in New York City, and in 1905 published Mexico, Today and Tomorrow. He has two sons, Reginald P. Vincent, in the National City Bank, New York, and chairman of the city council of East Orange, N.J., and Captain Nicholas F. Vincent, M.D., now in the 38th Army Hospital near Cairo, Egypt; also two daughters, and four grandchildren. Since retiring from active business he has been living in Ringoes, N.J.
John J. Ward taught for a time in the Clinton High School, then moved to Colorado where he served successively as teacher in the Denver High School, superintendent of schools in Brighton, and superintendent of the County High School in Castle Rock. At various times he took graduate work in Chicago University, the University of Colorado and Colorado State College. He was at one time a member of the city council of Castle Rock, assistant county treasurer and a topographer on the U.S. Geological Survey. He has one daughter. His present home is in Denver.
Supplementary Information
Baker, Edwin Carlos, 1894. Studied law in Utica in the office of Joseph Rudd, Hamilton 1890. Admitted to the Bar 1897. Practiced law in Utica until retirement, about 1939, on account of ill health. Address, 1944, 83 Genesee St., New Hartford, N.Y.
Becker, Nicholas S., 1984. Graduated from Auburn Theological Seminary, 1898. Pastor Presbyterian church, Otego, N.Y. 1898-1900. Subsequently pastor in Presbyterian churches, New Preston, Conn., Passaic, N.J., and Suffern, N.Y. Active in organizing and conducting bible conferences. For a number of years director of Dorwillen Christian Camp for Boys & Girls, Suffern, N.Y. Address, 1944, Suffern, N.Y.
Collier, Theodore, 1894. See data in alumni files, also sketch in Who’s Who. Add, retired as professor emeritus of history and international relations, Brown University, June 1944.
Everett, Warren Harkness, 1894. Student, Albany Medical College, 1894-95. Fellow in biology, New York University, 1895-97; instructor in biology, New York University, 1896-97. In the summer of 1897 was one of a group of biologists studying animal and crustacean life in Bermuda. Continued medical studies and served as assistant in anatomy, Albany Medical College, 1897, and in University Medical College, New York, 1898-99. Practiced medicine in Peru, N.Y., from 1903 to 1942, when he retired on account of health. Address 1944, Peru, N.Y.
Gibson, Cornelius Joseph, 1894. Data from letter to class secretary Aug. 24, 1933. Born, Clinton, N.Y. May 22, 1872. Prepared for college at Clinton Grammar School and entered the Class of 1893. Was out of college on account of health 1891-92. Returned and joined ’94 and graduated with that class. Entered the lumber business in Utica with his father and continued it after his father’s death in 1906. Married Edith Lockerby, April 18, 1900, at Montreal, Canada. No children. Traveled in Europe three or four times. For a number of years suffered from eye trouble and eventually forced to retire from business on account of health. Address, 1944, 1623 Sunset Ave., Utica, N.Y.
Mangan, Thomas John, 1894. See sketch in Who’s Who and memorandum, supplied by himself May 8, 1944, attached to card. Address, 1944. Office, 90 Chenango St., Binghamton, N.Y. Additional data from class secretary’s book: admitted to the Bar October 1896. Has practiced law in Binghamton ever since. Candidate for district attorney, Broome County, N.Y., 1898.
Payne, Arthur Melvin, 1894. Valedictorian. Assistant librarian, Hamilton, 1894-95. Admitted to the Bar and practiced law in Middletown, N.Y., since 1895. Elected justice of the peace, Middletown, 1897; and later recorder of the city of Middletown. No card filed and no reply to secretary’s request for personal data. Address, 1944, Middletown, N.Y.
Root, Oren, 1894. See sketch in Who’s Who. No card filed. Only additional fact furnished in response to secretary’s letter, May 1944, was that his son Oren Root, Jr. is a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Naval Reserve. Address, 1944, 737 Park Ave., New York, N.Y.
Vincent, Ralph Waterman, 1894. See card in file. Additional data from class secretary’s book: taught in Mt. Hermon Boys’ School, Mass., 1894-96; reporter, New York Sun, 1896-98; worked on Poole’s Index, 1900. From 1899 to 1900, financial reporter for Philadelphia news bureau and reporter for about 30 years thereafter, specializing on railroads. Contributed many articles to Magazine of Wall Street under pseudonym “Pierce H. Fulton;” widely known in the profession as the “dean of railroad reporters in Wall Street.” From 1901 to 1939 resided in East Orange, N.J. Member of the First Presbyterian Church, East Orange, and active in its affairs. Children, Rosemary, graduate of Mt. Holyoke, for several years librarian in New York City; married Plato E. Shaw, professor of church history, Hartford Theological Seminary. Reginald P., graduate of Dartmouth College and ever since in National City Bank, N.Y. Nicholas F., graduate of Dartmouth College and Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia; member of medical unit reserve corps, U.S. Army. Vivian, student in Smith College for two years; graduated from New Jersey College for Women; married... Shephard; three children. Address 1944, Ringoes, New Jersey.
Ward, John Joseph, 1894. See card, sent to secretary April 1944, with present address, 1466 Columbine St., Denver 6, Colorado.
Theodore Collier, Class of 1894
Theodore Collier was born in Montville, N.J. At Hamilton he was a member of Chi Psi and Phi Beta Kappa, receiving an A.B. degree in 1894 and an M.A. in 1897. He began his teaching career as an instructor and assistant professor of history at Williams College in 1905. In 1907, he became associate professor at Brown University, serving as head of the history department there from 1917 to 1939. The author of A New World in the Making, published in 1919, Dr. Collier also wrote numerous articles on history and biography for a number of journals including The New Republic and The American Historical Review. He also authored more than 40 articles in the 11th edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica. A loyal alumnus, Dr. Collier received an honorary L.H.D. from Hamilton in 1928.
