History of Esopus, (Ulster County) New York United States of America

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Arthur Beardsley, educator, was born in Esopus, Ulster county, N.Y., Nov. 1, 1843; son of Jonathan and Laura (Coutant) Beardsley. His first American ancestor, William Beardsley, sailed from London in the ship Planter, in April, 1635, and became one of the original proprietors and one of the first settlers of Stratford, Conn. His mother was descended from Jean Coutant, a Huguenot refugee, who settled at New Rochelle, N.Y., about 1690. He attended the Dutchess county academy, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., entered Bowdoin college, Brunswick, Me., in 1862, but through a change in his plans he left there in 1864 and went to the Rensselaer polytechnic institute, Troy, N.Y., where he was graduated in 1867 with the degree of C.E. He was appointed assistant civil engineer of the Hoosac tunnel, then one of the great practical schools of engineering. He resigned in June, 1868, and spent the following year in Poughkeepsie, N; Y, as a civil engineer and architect. In June, 1869, he was appointed instructor of civil engineering, physics and industrial mechanics in the University of Minnesota, and in June, 1870, was made professor of civil engineering and industrial mechanics in the same university. In June, 1872, he accepted the chair of applied mathematics and physics in Swarthmore college, Pennsylvania. In 1888 his professorship was endowed as the "I.V. Williamson Professorship of Engineering." He organized and took entire charge of the manual training work and the department of mechanical arts in Swarthmore college, and designed and built several college and other buildings and residences at Swarthmore and elsewhere. He was made a member of the American society of civil engineers, American society of mechanical engineers, Franklin institute (chairman for 1892 and 1894 of its committee on science and the arts; member of the board of managers, and of the committee on publications, editing the journal of the Franklin institute); Rensselaer society of engineers, Societe des ingenieurs civils de France, Society of naval architects and marine engineers, historical society of Pennsylvania, American association for the advancement of science (fellow), etc. He was librarian of Swarthmore college from 1877 until 1888, and vice-president of the same from 1881 until 1886. He visited Europe in 1886 to study foreign technical schools and systems; received, in. 1889, the honorary degree of Ph.D. from Swarthmore; was special agent of the 11th U. S. census (building-stones, etc), in 1890; became postmaster at Swarthmore in 1895, and emeritus professor at the College in 1898.

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

History of Esopus, (Ulster County) New York

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