TOMPKINS. TOWER 605 TOMPKINS William Ripley, son of Rev. William Brownell Tompkins, was born in Madison, Madison county, N. Y., March 19, 1826. His grandfather, Gilbert Tompkins, was one of the early settlers of this part of the state, having organized and led a colony from southeastern Massachusetts to a tract of land in the town of Madison, previously located by him. The early education of Mr. Tompkins was derived from the public schools of his native state. His studies in preparation for a collegiate course were pursued at first in an academy at Munnsville, N. V'., and afterwards under a private instructor at Oneida. He entered the sophomore class in the University of the City of New York in 1847. In 1848 he transferred his relation to Williams College, Mass., from which institution he graduated with honor in the class of 1850. The next three years were spent in teach- ing in Schoharie and at Temple Hill, Geneseo, X. Y. In the autumn of 1S53 Mr. Tompkins entered the theological seminary at An- dover, Mass., graduating in 1856. Having been licensed to preach by the Suffolk (South) Association of Boston (Orthodox Congregational), he received an invitation to become pastor of the New England church in Brooklyn, N. Y., which invitation he accepted, and was ordained and installed October 15, 1856. This office he retained eight years, the church in the meantime increasing about four-fold. At the end of eight years an obstinate affection of the throat, and health generally impaired, demanding a period of rest, he resigned his charge and remained without a pastorate for two years. In 1S66 he took charge as acting pastor of the Congregational church in Wrentham, Mass., which position he has now held for more than twenty-two years. While in Brooklyn, Mr. Tompkins was on the committee of agencies of the Ameri- can Bible Society, a trustee of the Ameri- can Congregational Union, and a member of the executive committee of the Ameri- can Home Missionary Society. During his long pastorate in Wrentham, Mr. Tompkins has taken a specially active interest in all matters involving the social and industrial prosperity of the town, in addition to his labors for the promotion of religion ; and during that period few public enterprises have been undertaken, or im- provements made in which he has not borne an active part. He was twice elected to represent his district in the state Legislature, — in 1877, when he was chairman, on the part of the House, of the committee on religious socie- ties, and in 1880, when he was chairman of the committee on public charitable institutions. Mr. Tompkins was never married.
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i - WILLIAM R. TOMPKINS. An ardent love of nature is one of his prominent characteristics, and the natural sciences have consequently received a large share of his attention; and from the laws of nature in all her departments it has been his custom and delight to draw parallels and analogies to illustrate and enforce the moral laws he is accustomed to preach. ( )ne of the members of the Mendon conference — Rev. Jacob Ide — says of him : "An intimate ministerial association with Rev. W. R. Tompkins for nearly thirty years confirms my estimate of him as a ripe scholar, a profound thinker, and an exceedingly close reasoner." TOWER, William Augustus, son of ( )ren and Harriet (Gleason) Tower, was born in Petersham, Worcester county, Feb- ruary 26, 1825. Mr. Tower comes of An- glo-Saxon stock, the common ancestor of the Tower family in America having emi- grated from Hingham, England, in 1637, and settled in Hingham, Mass.
