History of Hampden Sydney, (Prince Edward County) Virginia United States of America

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Charles William Dabney, educator, was Hampden-Sidney, Va., June 19, 1855; son Robert Lewis and Margaret Lavinia (Morrison) Dabney; grandson of Charles Dabney of Louisa county, Va., and of the Rev. James Morrison, of Rockbridge county, Va., and a descendant of Cornelius Dabney (D'Aubign?) one of the two original settlers of this name in Virginia. He was graduated at Hamp-den-Sidney college in 1873, taught a classic school one year, and was graduated at the University of Virginia in 1877. He was professor of chemistry and mineralogy at Emory and Henry college, Va., 1877-78, and studied chemistry, physics and mineralogy at Berlin and G?ttingen, Germany, 1878-80; was elected professor of chemistry in the University of North Carolina in 1880, and soon after, state chemist of North Carolina; became director of the North Carolina agricultural experiment station at Raleigh, in 1881, and also state chemist of the geological survey and beard of health. He conducted explorations for phosphate in eastern North Carolina, and was the first to discover and bring these deposits to the attention of the scientific and commercial world. He made similar explorations of the pyrites deposits in western North Carolina. He discovered cassiterite (black tin) and other minerals new to that section. He represented North Carolina at various expositions and was the chief of the department of government and state exhibits of the New Orleans World's exposition of 1884-85. While in North Carolina he was instrumental in providing buildings with laboratories, glass houses, etc., for the experiment station, and in organizing and equipping an experimental farm, a state weather service, and a permanent exhibit of the state's resources. He became interested in technical education and wrote and lectured upon its necessity in the south. He was also interested in the establishment of an industrial school in Raleigh, N.C., which became the State college of agriculture and mechanic arts. He was elected president of the University of Tennessee in 1887. He was assistant secretary of agriculture, 1893-97; and was appointed special agent in charge of scientific bureaus and investigations of the department of agriculture in 1897, serving in this position for a few months when he was recalled to the presidency of the University of Tennessee. He was elected a member of the American and German chemical societies, of the American institute of mining engineers, and of the Virginia historical society. He received the degree of Ph.D. from the University of G?ttingen in 1880 and that of LL.D. from Davidson college in 1889. He published papers in the scientific journals of points in organic and agricultural chemistry; a large number of bulletins, and five annual reports of the experiment station, and many papers and addresses on educational, historical and literary subjects. As assistant secretary of agriculture he edited the scientific publications of the department especially the Farmers' bulletins and the year book.

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

History of Hampden Sydney, (Prince Edward County) Virginia

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