Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 09.djvu/153

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ROCKWELL


RODDEY


sums of money to philantliropic. educational and religious work, his chief benefactions being ex- tended to the Universitj' of Chicago; the city of Cleveland. Oliio, for public inprovements; Vassar college; Barnard college: the American Baptist Missionaiy union; the Baptist Home Missionaiy society; Jit. Holyoke college; Brown uni- versity; Denison university; the endowment of a chair of psychology at Columbia college; the new Horace Mann school in New York; the Rochester Theological seminary; the Spellman seminary, Atlanta. Ga., the Newton Theological Institution; Cornell university; Bryn Mawr col- lege; the Rockefeller Institute of Medical Re- search; Wellesley college, and the Young Men's Christian association.

ROCKWELL, Francis Williams, representa- tive, was born in Pittsfield, Mass., May 26. 1844; son of Julius (q.v.) and Lucy Forbes (Walker) Rockwell. He was graduated from Amherst col- lege, A.B., 1868. A. M., 1871, and from Harvard Law school, LL.B. 1871. He was married, June 11, 1873, to Mary Gilbert, daughter of Henry Gilbert and Mary Bullard Dowse Davis of Pittsfield, Mass. He practised law in Pittsfield; was a special jus- tice of the district court of Central Berkshire, 1873-75; a representative in the state legislature in 1879; state senator, 1881-83, and a Republican representative in the 48th congress, to fill a vac- ancy caused by the resignation of George D. Rob- inson, and in the 49th, 50th and 51st congresses, serving, 1884-91. He was a member of the com- mittee on foreign affairs during the 50th and 51st congresses, and of the committee on military af- fairs in the 51st congress.

ROCKWELL, Julius, senator, was born in Cole- brook, Conn., April 26, 1805; son of Reuben and Rebecca (Beebe) Rockwell, grandson of Samuel, and a descendant of William Rockwell, Dorches- ter, Mass., 1630. He was graduated from Yale, 1826, A.M., 1829, LL.B., 1829; was admitted to the bar. and began practice in Pittsfield, Mass., in A.B., 1830. He was a representative in the general court of Massachusetts, 1834-37, serving as speaker of the house, 1835-37. He was married, Nov. 22, 1836. to Lucy Forbes, daughter of Judge William Perrinand Lucy (Adam) Walker of Lenox. Mass., and a member of the first board of bank com- missioners, 1839-41, being chairman, 1840-41. He was a Whig representative in the 28th, 29th,. 30th and 31st congresses, 1844-51; a delegate to the state constitutional convention of 1853, and was appointed to the U. S. senate to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of Edward Everett. June 15. 1854, and served until the election of Henry Wilson, Feb. 10, 1855. He was the Republican nominee for governor, 1855; a presidential elector on the Fremont and Dayton ticket in 1856: a representative in the general court of Massachu-


setts in 1858, serving again as speaker of the house, and was appointed a judge of the newly established superior court of Massachusetts in June, 1859, resigning in October, 1886, the senior member of the court. In June, 1865, he removed to Lenox, Mass., to occupy the Walker homestead, left vacant by the death of his wife's mother, where lie died. May 19. 1SS4.

ROCKWOOD, Charles Greene, Jr., scientist, was born in New York city, Jan. 11, 1843; son of Charles Greene and Sarah (Smith) Rock wood; grandson of Ebenezer and Elizabeth Breese (Hazard) Rockwood and of George Bridges Rod- nej' and Joanna (Vermilye) Smith, and a de- scendant of Nicholas Rockwood of Dorchester and Medfield, Mass. (1628-1680), who was born in England, and was the seventh generation from Roger Rokewood of Euston, Suffolk, Eng. (died 1482). He was graduated from Yale, A.B., 1864, Ph.D., 1866, A.M., 1867, and was married June, 13, 1867, to Hettie Ho.sford, daughter of Simeon Parsons and Hettie Hosford (Smith) Smith of New York city. He was professor of math- ematics and natural philosophy at Bowdoin col- lege, 1868-73; professor of mathematics and astronomy at Rutgers college, 1873-77, and was elected professor of mathematics at the College of New Jersey, Princeton, in 1877. He was a member of the Princeton eclipse expedition to Colorado in 1878; a member and secretary of the American Metrological society; fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science; a member of the New Jersey Historical society; the St. Nicholas Society of New York; the Society of Colonial Wars in the State of New Jersey; the New Jersey Society Of the Sons of the Revolution; the American Social Science association; the American Mathematical society, and the National Geographic society. The hon- orary degree of A.M. was conferred on him by Bowdoin in 1869, and by the College of New Jersey in 1896. He made a special study of American earthquakes, and contributed articles to the American Journal of Science and to the reports of the Smithsonian Institution.

RODDEY, Philip Dale, soldier, was born at Moulton, Lawrence count}-, Ala., in 1820. Pre- vious to the civil war he was engaged in the shipping business, and was proprietor and captain of a line of steamboats on the Tennessee river. In 1861 he raised a company of scouts for the Confederate service and afterward a cavalry brigade at his own expense. He was commis- sioned brigadier-general. Aug. 31. 1863, and his command formed a part of William T. Martin's division, Wheeler's corps, at the battle of Chick- amauga. Sept. 19-20, 1863. In the Atlanta cam- paign of 1864. General Roddey held a command of 600 men in Wheeler's corps, and during the