History of Kent, (Litchfield County) Connecticut United States of America

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Biographies:

Ernest Wilson Huffcut, educator, was born in Kent, Litchfield county, Conn., Nov. 21, 1860; son of Ambrose and Luzina (Wilson) Huffcut, and grandson of John and Mary (Simpson) Huffcut and of John and Eliza (Stuart) Wilson. He attended the Union school at Afton, N.Y., and was graduated from Cornell, B.S., 1884, LL.B., 1888. He was instructor in English in Cornell university, 1885-88; practised law in Minneapolis, Minn., 1888-90; was judge advocate-general of Minnesota, 1889-90; professor of law at the Indiana university, Bloolnington, Ind., 1890-92; at Northwestern university, Chicago, Ill., 1892-93, and was elected professor of law at Cornell university in 1893. He was elected a member of the American Bar association in 1895 and of the New York State Bar association in 1900. He is the author of: American Cases on Contract (1894); American Edition of Anson on Contract (1895); Elements of Law of Agency (1895); Cases on Agency (1896); Negotiable Instruments (1898); and numerous articles in legal periodicals and addresses before bar associations and other learned societies.

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

Birdsey Grant Northrup, educationist, was born in Kent, Conn., July 16, 1817; son of Thomas G. and Aurelia (Curtis) Northrup, and grandson of Lieut. Amos Northrup, Yale, A.B., 1762, A.M., 1765. He was graduated at Yale, A.B., 1841, and at Yale Theological seminary in 1845. He was married Feb. 18, 1846, to Harriet Eliza Chichester. He was ordained pastor of the Congregational church, Saxonville, Mass., March 10, 1847, and resigned in 1857. He was agent of the Massachusetts hoard of education, 1857-67, and secretary of the Connecticut board of education, 1867-83, where he directed the movement for educating Chinese and Japanese youth in American colleges and schools. In 1872 the government of Japan invited him to establish a system of public education in that country, which he declined, believing that he could serve them better in the United States. He went abroad in 1871, and again in 1877, to investigate the educational systems of Europe, and the schools for the study of forestry and those for industrial education. He devoted much time to tree-planting; originated and introduced the observance of Arbor Day in the public schools, and for his attention to sanitary and ?sthetic home surroundings he was called the "Father of Village Improvement Societies." He was a member of the board of visitors of the U.S. Military academy, 1863-64; president of the American Institute of Instruction, 1864-66; of the National Association of School Superintendents in 1866, and of the National Educational association in 1873. It was through his influence that Daniel Hand, of Guilford, Conn., gave to the American Missionary society $1,500,000 for the education of the colored people in 1888. In 1895 he visited Japan; where he was received as the guest of the nation and was also presented with a set of china by the Japanese government in acknowledgment of his services. He received the degree of A.M. from Yale in 1853, and the honorary degree of LL.D. from Williams college in 1872. He is the author of: Education Abroad; Forestry in Europe; Lessons from European Schools, and pamphlets. He died in Clinton, Conn., April 27, 1898.

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