Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 3.djvu/275

 PROMINENT PERSONS

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Dudley, Thomas Underwood, born in Richmond, Virginia, September 26, 1837, son of Thomas Underwood Dudley and Alaria Friend, his wife, both of English lineage. His early education was received in private schools, and he attended Hanover Academy prior to entering the University of Virginia in October, 1855, and where he continued until his graduation with the degree of Mas- ter of Arts, in the class of 1858. Following his collegiate course, he taught one year in the Dinwiddle School, Albemarle county, \irginia, and one year in Powell's Female School, at Richmond, Virginia ; and the fol- lowing session was appointed to the posi- tion of assistant professor of Latin in the University of Virginia. In 1861 he enlisted ai a private in the Army of Northern Vir- gniia, but was soon afterward promoted to the rank of captain and later to major. He remained in service until the close of the V\ar, and then became a law student in Mid- dleburg, Virginia, with John Randolph Tucker as his preceptor. For six months he continued his reading, but abandoned the law for the ministry, and in January, 1866, entered the Protestant Episcopal Theolog- ical Seminary of Virginia, at Alexandria. Ordained to the ministry, he served for one year as rector of the Episcopal church at Harrisonburg, \'irginia, which was erected by his efforts, and in January, 1869, was appointed rector of Christ Church, Balti- more, Maryland, where he officiated from January, 1869, until January, 1875. He was then made assistant bishop of Kentucky, and upon the death of Bishop Smith, ten >ears later, succeeded as bishop of that dio- cese. He was widely known through his jiublished volumes of lectures and sermons, and was regarded as one of the ablest

preachers in the American church. One of the great works that he accomplished was m promoting the welfare of the University of the South at Sewanee, Tennessee. He died in 1904. He was twice married. He married (first) Fannie Berkeley Cochran, of Loudoun county, Virginia ; and (second) Virginia Fisher Rowland, of Norfolk, Vir- ginia.

Portner, Robert, born at Rahden, province of Westphalia, Prussia, Alarch 20, 1837, son ol Henry Portner, a German lawyer, judge and officer in the German army, and Henri- etta Gelker, his wife. Having obtained a practical education at the village schools of Prussia, and the military school of Anna- burg, Saxony, he emigrated to the United States, at the age of sixteen, and for the first eight years was variously employed, then took up his residence in Alexandria, Virginia, where he was a grocer in partner- ship with a friend. They established a small brewing plant, which proved a profitable enterprise. After the civil war the partner- ship was dissolved and iVIr. Portner retain- ing the brewing business, formed the Robert Portner Brewing Company, of which he be- came president, and he also became inter- ested in artificial refrigeration, inventing the first successful machine, with direct am- monia expansion, ever used for that pur- pose. In addition to the above undertakings Mr. Portner served as president of three building and loan associations in Alexandria, v.'hich he organized ; the Alexandria Ship Yards, which he originated ; the German- American Banking Company, later known as the German American Bank, which he or- ganized ; Capital Construction Company, and German Building Association ; vice-