Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 5.djvu/592

 958

VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

private secretary to Governor T. T. Knox of the Soldier's Home near Hampton, Vir- ginia. His promptness, energy and meth- odical business arrangements made him of great value to the institution, and his pro- motion was deservedly rapid. He is now in charge of all commissary and subsistence of the institution, with the rank of captain, and is a most efficient and valuable official, where his work is known and appreciated. Captain Brewer is a faithful communicant of the Protestant Episcopal church, and is at this time junior deacon of Monitor Lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, of Phoebus. He married, November 7, 1910, Frances Taylor Weymouth, born January 27, 1882, daughter of \Villiam James and Mary Ellen (Ashe) Weymouth (see Wey- mouth). Captain and Mrs. Brewer have children : Frances Weymouth, born August 2, 191 1 ; Wesley Harrison, 2nd, IVIarch 16, 1913; and \\'illie Weymouth, born March 15. 1915-

Frederick Pomeroy Palen. The incum- bent of high position vipon the executive staff of the Newport News Ship-building Company, Frederick Pomeroy Palen looks back upon a twenty years term of service with that concern, his entire active career. From the rank of draughtman to the office of assistant manager of a plant employing from five to seven thousand persons is a rise in station that could not pass uncom- mented, and makes the story of Mr. Palen's connection with this company an interesting one.

P'rederick Pomeroy Palen, son of

and Palen, was born in Jen-

ningsville, Pennsylvania, in 1872, the family shortly after his birth moving to Monticello, New York, where he attended the public schools. Preparatory studies completed, he entered Cornell University, at Ithaca, New York, and was graduated in mechanical en- gineering in the class of 1S94. Soon after leaving the university he became a draughts- m.an in the employ of the Newport News Ship-building Company, a concern founded by Collis P. Huntingdon. The two decades that have passed since his entrance intO' the employ of this company have been years of hard, persistent labor, and in their course Mr. Palen has been connected with many dif- ferent departments of the plant, arriving, through successive promotions, each earned

and deserved, to his present important and responsible office, assistant general man- ager. As previously stated, the Newport News Ship-building Company employs from five to seven thousand persons, the pay-roll of the company averaging seventy thous- and dollars weekly, and in the light of these ligures new lealization of the tremendous burden borne by its officers is given. Se- lected for his position because of his emi- nent qualifications. Air. Palen has shown comj)etence and efficiency of high order, and executive force and power that even his past worthy performances in the com- pany's service did not indicate. The abil- ity he has displayed has always been com- mensurate with the importance of the office that he held, and whenever promotion placed upon him heavier burdens or vested in him greater power, his strength was al- ^\ays equal to the added load and his judg- ment v.'ise in directing the use of his in- fluence. He is held in high esteem, not only by his fellows in authority, but by those who compose the body of the company's working force, and has friendly and cordial relations with the employees in all depart- ments of the company. Mr. Palen is past master of Bremond Lodge, Free and Ac- cepted Masons, and also fraternizes with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. Pie is a communicant of the Protestant Epis- copal church, is independent in local politi- cal action, but in matters of national im- port he is a Republican sympathizer. He is a prominent citizen, universally well-re- garded, and is allied with all that is best in civil life.

Mr. Palen married, in 1905, Lina, daugh- ter of George W. Mayo, of Richmond, Vir- ginia, and his wife. Louise (Randolph) Mayo, a granddaughter of Governor Ran- dolph. Mr. and Mrs. Palen are the parents of one son, Frederick Pomeroy, Jr., born Alay 19. 1914.

William Eyre Gibson Gaillard. \\'illiam Eyre (iibson (Taillard, has inherited from Huguenot ancestors those sterling qualities of perse\-erance in adherence to sound ]3rin- ciples as well as in material effort, which are bound to achieve success in life. His ancestors were among the earliest settlers of South Carolina, where several of the name are found in the earliest records. They had fled from the persecutions of their na-