History of Charleston, (Montgomery County) New York United States of America

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Biographies:

Ira Harris, senator, was born in Charleston, Montgomery county, N.Y., May 31, 1802; son of Frederick Waterman and Lucy (Hamilton) Harris of English and Scotch ancestry, respectively. His father, a farmer, removed to a new farm of 400 acres in Preble, Cortland county, in 1808, and Ira followed the custom of the day alternating farm work with attendance at the district school, and was prepared for college at the Cortand academy, Homer, N.Y. He was graduated at Union college with honors in 1824; was admitted to the bar in 1827, and practised law in Albany, N.Y., 1827-48. He was a member of the state assembly for two terms, 1844-45; a member of the state constitutional convention of 1846; state senator, 1847; a judge of the supreme court of the state, 1847-59; absent in Europe, 1860; U.S. senator, 1861-67, and delegate to the state constitutional convention of 1867. He was professor of equity, jurisprudence and practice in the Albany law school when not absent in Washington, 1850-75, and lecturer on American law in the Columbian university, Washington, D.C., 1865-71. He was a trustee of Union college and president of the board of trustees, 1848-75. He was acting president of the college, 1868-69, between the time of the resignation of President Hickok and the election of President Aiken. He was a trustee and president of the board of trustees of Vassar college; president of the Albany medical college; a founder and the only chancellor of Rochester university, 1850-53, and a trustee, 1850-76. He is the author of addresses: Life and Character of Roger Williams and Government of Cities (1867). He received the honorary degree of LL.D. He died in Albany, N.Y., Dec. 2, 1875.

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

Henry R. Pierson, educationist, was born in Charleston, Montgomery county, N.Y., June 13, 1819; son of Rufus Pierson, and a descendant of Henry Pierson of Southampton, L.I. He was graduated from Union college, N.Y., in 1846, and was admitted to the bar in 1848, practising his profession in Brooklyn, N.Y., 1849-60. He was elected president of the Brooklyn City Railroad Company in 1860; was a member of the board of education, Brooklyn, N.Y., president of the board of aldermen for several terms during his residence in Brooklyn, 1849-69, and state senator 1867-68. He was elected financial agent of the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad company, Chicago, Ill., in 1871, later becoming its superintendent and vice-president. He was elected resident executive director of the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad company at Albany, N.Y., in 1871; was a member of the state assembly, 1873, and served as chairman of its committees on cities and on railroads, and in 1875 he established a banking house at Albany. He was a trustee of Union college 1871-72; of the Albany Medical college, and of Dudley Observatory, and a regent of the University of the State of New York, 1872-90, having been elected to succeed Erastus Corning. He succeeded Erastus C. Benedict as vice-chancellor, serving 1878-81, and became chancellor in 1881 on the death of Chancellor Benedict. The honorary degree of LL.D. was conferred on him by Union college in 1874. He died in Albany, N.Y., Jan. 1, 1890.

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