History of Southington, (Hartford County) Connecticut United States of America

Wooster Woodruff Beman, educator, was born at Southington, Conn., May 28, 1850. He was prepared for college, entered the University of Michigan in 1866, and was graduated in 1870, receiving his A.M. degree in 1873. During the year 1870-'71 he was instructor in Greek and mathematics in Kalamazoo college, Mich. He was instructor of mathematics in the University of Michigan from 1871 to 1874; assistant professor from 1874 to 1882; associate professor from 1882 to 1887, and was made professor in charge of the department in 1887. He became a fellow of the American association for the advancement of science, and was the secretary of Section A in 1890. He was a member of both the London and New York mathematical societies. He assisted Professor Olney in the preparation of his series of text-books, and is the author of "Keys to Olney's Introduction to Algebra, Geometry, Trignometry and University Algebra." He made numerous contributions to the "Academy," "Analyst," "Educational Notes and Queries," "Annals of Mathematics," and "Bibliotheca Mathematica."

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Ellen Warner Olney Kirk, author, was born in Southington, Conn., Nov. 6, 1846; daughter of Jesse and Elizabeth (Barnes) Olney; granddaughter of James Olney, and a descendant of Thomas Olney, one of the founders of Providence with Roger Williams. Her father was an educator and geographer. She was chiefly educated at home in Stratford, Conn., and began to write while quite young. She was married, July 2, 1879, to John Foster Kirk, the historian. Her first book was published in 1876, and met with immediate success. At one time she used the pen name "Henry Hayes." She is the author of: Love in Idleness (1876); Through Winding Ways (1879); A Lesson in Love (1881); A Midsummer Madness (1884); The Story of Margaret Kent (1886); Sons and Daughters (1887); Queen Money (1888); Better Times (1888); A Daughter of Eve (1889); Walford(1890); Ciphers (1891); The Story of Lawrence Garthe (1894); The Revolt of a Daughter (1897); Dorothy Deane (1898); Dorothy and her Friends (1899).

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Mansfield Merriman, engineer, was born in Southington, Conn., March 27, 1848; son of Mansfield and Lucy (Hall) Merriman, and a descendant of Lieut. Nathaniel Merriman, one of the original settlers of New Haven, Conn., 1643. He was graduated at the Sheffie scientific school at Yale, C.E., 1871, and Ph.D., 1876. He was assistant engineer to the U.S. corps of engineers, 1872-73; instructor in civil engineering at the Sheffield scientific school, 1874-78, and in 1878 became professor of civil engineering at Lehigh university, Bethlehem, Pa. He served as an assistant on the U.S. coast and geodetic survey, 1889-85, having charge of the primary triangulation of Pennsylvania. He was elected a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Philosphical society and the New York Academy of Sciences. In 1894 he was vice-president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science; in 1896, president of the Society for the Promotion of Engineering Education, and in 1900, chairman of the American section of the International Association for Testing Materials. He was married, first, in 1875; to Wanda Kubale, who died in 1889, and secondly, in 1891, to Anna R. Godshalk. He is the author of: Elements of the Method of Least Squares (1877); the Figure of the Earth, an Introduction to Geodesy (1881); Text-Book on the Method of Least Squares (1884); The Mechanics of Materials (1885); Treatise on Hydraulics (1889); Elements of Sanitary Engineering (1898); Precise Surveying and Geodesy (1899), and contributions to scientific journals. Jointly with H. S. Jacoby he was the author of: Text-Book on Roofs and Bridges (4 vols., 1888-1897); and with R. S. Woodward he edited Higher Mathematics (1896).

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Southington, (Hartford County) Connecticut

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