The Biographical Dictionary of America/Babcock, Charles

BABCOCK, Charles, educator, was born at Ballston, N. Y., in 1829. He was graduated from Union college in 1847, and studied and practised architecture. From 1858 to 1862 he taught in St. Stephen's college, Annandale, N. Y., and later was ordained to the Episcopal ministry. From 1862 to 1871 he served as a missionary in Orange county, N. Y., and was then appointed professor of architecture at Cornell university, and organized the department, providing for it a thorough course of study. His practical knowledge of architecture was turned to account in several of the buildings on the Cornell campus, notably Sage hall for women, and Sage chapel, which were endowed and presented to the university by Henry W. Sage. In 1896 he was appointed director of the college of architecture in Cornell university, upon the reorganization of the old architectural department into the new college of architecture.