History of Berkshire, (Tioga County) New York United States of America

Our database does not include an historic photo for Berkshire, (Tioga County) New York, do you have one you would like to contribute? Contact Us!

George Fisk Comfort, educator, was born in Berkshire, N.Y., Sept. 20, 1838; son of the Rev. Silas Comfort. He was graduated at Wesleyan university, Conn., in 1857, was teacher of natural science, drawing and painting in the American seminary, N.Y., 1857-58, at the Fort Plain seminary, 1858-59, and of natural science and Latin in Van Norman institute, New York city, 1860. He studied general history, history of the fine arts, philosophy, philology and arch?ology in Europe and the east, 1860-65, and was professor of modern languages and ?sthetics in the Allegheny college, Meadville, Pa., 1865-68. He engaged in the preparation of text books on modern languages, and as lecturer on Christian arch?ology in Drew theological seminary, Madison, N. J., 1868-71. He was professor of modern languages, ?sthetics and history of fine arts in Syracuse university, 1872-83, and in 1873 was made dean of the College of fine arts connected with the university. In 1866 he was elected a member of the institutes of arch?ology of Rome, Paris and Berlin, was chief organizer and secretary of the American philological association, 1869-73, was an organizer of the Metropolitan museum of art, New York city, and was a trustee and member of the executive committee, a member of the American anthropological society, the Modern languages society, the American oriental society, the Institute of architects, and other learned societies in both Europe and America. He was married Jan. 19, 1871, to Anna, daughter of Alfred C. and Elizabeth (Sterling) Manning of Norwich, Conn. She was a member of the first class to graduate from the New York medical college for women, 1865, and was the first woman to practise medicine in Connecticut. On Aug 29, 1891, Dean Comfort was elected president of the Southern college of fine arts, La Porte, Texas, which he was largely instrumental in founding and to which he transferred his personal direction in 1892. The regents of the University of the state of New York conferred upon him the degree of L.H.D. in 1889 and Syracuse university that of LL. D. in 1893. He was art editor of the Northern Christian Advocate from 1874 and contributed to various cyclop?dias on art subjects. He is the author of Esthetics in Collegiate Education (1867); A German Course (1870); A Manual of German Conversation (1870); A German Reader (1871); A First Book in German (1872); The First German Reader (1872); A German Primer (1874); Woman's Education and Woman's Health (with Anna Manning Comfort, 1874); The Land Troubles in Ireland (1881); Modern Languages in Education (1886); The Fine Arts as a College Study; Art Museums in America.

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

History of Berkshire, (Tioga County) New York

Biographies: