Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 03.djvu/368

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

DUKAND


DURBIN


nent men, his subjects inchuled Harvey JJirch and \\'ushitii/li>n. The Capture of Andre, The Dance on the Battery, The Wrath of Peter Stuyvesant and Hods Judijmtnt on Uotj, all of whic'li he engraved. His landscajies embraced The Catskills from Jlills- <lale. The Francontan Mountains, The BainboiP, Sunday Mornin(i, Prinu'val Forests and several Views of Lake George. His Uirge canvas A Moun- tain Forest (1^69) went to the Corcoran gallery, Wasliington; and Studies from Xatnre, Tl Pappa- gallo and Kauterskill Cove were in the Centennial exiK»sition, 1876. He was a founder of the Na- tional acailemy of design and succeeded S. F. B. Morse as its president, serving 184.")-G1. His son Jolm Jiecame a prominent art critic and editor. He died in Soutli Orange. N.J., Sept. 17, 1886.

DURAND, Cyrus, engraver, was born in Jef- ferson, N.J., Feb. 27, 1787. He was the son of a watchmaker and was descended from Huguenot ancestors. He learned the trade of his father and added to it a knowledge of the construction of machinery, in which he found profitable employ- ment during the enforcement of the non-inter- course acts of the British parliament. In 1814 he located in Newark, N.J., where he was a silver- smith. He volunteered as a drummer in the U.S. army and served three months during the war of 1812-14. He constructed machines for carding and weaving hair, to be used in manufact- uring carpets in 1815. He then directed his attention to banknote engraving and he made ruling machines for lathe work and straight line engraving. This was apparently the beginning of geometrical lathes afterward universally used in banknote engraving. He also made machines for engine turning and transfer presses. He was married to Mrs. Phoebe Woodruff, who lived to be one hundred years old, and they had six chil- dren. Of these, Jane Wade was married to the Rev. John L. Chapman, Elias Wade became a noted landscape painter, Juliet P. married a Mr. Baker, and the Rev. Cyrus B. Durand was rector of St. James church, Newark, N.J. Cyrus was chief of the bureau of engraving and printing, Washington, D.C., for many years, and died in Irvington, N.J., Sept. 18, 1868.

DURANT, Henry, educator, was born in Acton, Mass., Junt' 17, 1803. He was graduated from Yale in 1827, an.l was a tutor there, 1820-;33. He entered the ministry in ls33 and was pastor at Byfield, Ma.ss., \S^i'i-.'):i. He was principal of an academy for a few months and later in LSoS went to San Francisco, Cal., settling in Oakland, where he established and became principal of a preparatory college school. In 18.">5 this was incorporated into the College of California, with Frederick Billings. Sherman Day. the Rev. E. B. Walsworth, Edward Mclean and the Rev. Dr. Willey as trus- tees, and Mr. Diuiiut, after preparing 100 ])upils.


was appointea in 1860 professor of Greek at the opening of the college, conducting also the cla.sses in mental and moral pliilosopliy. In 1868 the college became the University of California and Professor Durant was elected its first president. He resigned in 1871 and was mayor of Oakland, Cal, 1873-75. He received the degree of LL.D. from the University of Rochester in 1871. He died in Oakland, Cal, Jan. 22, 1875.

DURANT, Henry Fowie, founder of Welles- ley college, was born in Hanover, N.H., Feb. 20, 1822. His name was originally Henry Welles Smith, which he had clianged because of confu- sion with another lawyer of similar name. He was the son t)f William and Harriet (Fowle) Smith; and grandson of Capt. John Fowle of the armj- of the American Revolution. He was graduated from Harvard in 1841, and was ad- mitted to the bar, Marcli 13, 1843, practising with brilliant success at the Suffolk bar until 1863, when on the death of his only son he retired, devoting his life to labor " for the glory of God, and the good of men." He conducted evange- listic meetings of gi'eat power in many towns of New England while he was considering plans for the higher Christian education of women. In 1870 he procured a charter from the legislature of Massachusetts and gave his country estate in Wellesley and the larger portion of his means, with his personal attention, to the erection and equipment of Wellesley college, which was opened in September, 1875. He devoted himself during the remainder of his life to the service of the college, contributing to it from time to time. He erected and gave the College of music in 1880. He was married, May 23, 1854, to Pauline Ade- line, daughter of Lieut. -Col John Fowle, U.S.A. He died in Wellesley, Mass.. Oct. 3, 1881.

DURANT, Thomas Jefferson, lawyer, was bom in Philadelphia, Pa.. Aug. 8, 1817; son of John Waldo and Sarali (Heyliger) Durant. He entered the University of Pennsylvania in 1830, but left at the close of the sopliomore year and in 1834 removed to New Orleans, La., where he became a clerk in the post-office. He was ad- mitted to the bar and served as a member of the Louisiana state senate, afterward being appointed U.S. district attorney for the state. He removed to Washington, D.C., in 1865, and in 1881 repre- sented the United States on the Spanish claims commission. He was married to ]\Iary Elizal)eth, daughter of Robert AVitliers Harper of 3Iarlboro, Md. He died in Washington. D.C.. Feb. 3, 1882.

DURBIN, Alexander Cook, ironmaster, was born in Philarlelphia. Pa., Aug. 8. 1832: son of the Rev. John Price and Frances B. (Cook) Dur- bin. He was graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1850 and liecame an ironmaster. In 1861, by order of the United States govern-