Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 4.djvu/199

 began to advocate the establishment of a State Agricultural College, similar to institutions existing in Germany. He gathered information relating to the European schools of agriculture and was a strenuous advocate of the establishment of one in Iowa to be supported by State aid. He assisted in preparing a bill which was introduced into the Legislature by R. A. Richardson in 1850, for the creation of such a college. When the Seventh General Assembly provided by law for a State Agricultural College, Suel Foster was made one of the trustees and was for five years president of the board. To the end of his life he continued to work in experimental horticulture and by his pen advocated industrial education. BENJAMIN T. FREDERICK was born in Fredericktown, Columbiana County, Ohio, on the 5th of October, 1834. He removed to Iowa, becoming a resident of Marshalltown where he engaged in manufacturing. For a long time he was a member of the school board and also of the city council. In the fall of 1882 he was nominated by the Democrats of the Fifth District for Representative in Congress. The election was close and the certificate was awarded by the canvassers to his Republican competitor, James Wilson. But after a long contest, lasting until the last day of the second session, it was decided that Mr. Frederick had been elected in place of Wilson who had held the seat. Mr. Frederick was again nominated in 1884 and elected over Milo P. Smith. In 1886 Mr. Frederick was nominated a third time but was defeated at the election and soon after removed to California. ALICE FRENCH was born March 19, 1850, in Andover, Massachusetts, and was educated at Abbott Academy in Andover. She came to Iowa with her parents in 1857, making her home at Davenport. At an early age Miss French developed a talent for story writing and eventually became one of the best known authors of fiction in the West. Her character delineations of the west and southwest are among the most graphic to be found, showing close observation of the salient peculiarities of the types of that region. Among her best known works of fiction are “Knitters in the Sun,” “Otto the Knight,” “Stories of a Western Town,” and “Expiation.” She is perhaps more widely known as “Octave Thanet” a nom de plume adopted. Her stories have been in demand by the best magazines of the country and are among the most fascinating in American fiction. WILLIAM E. FULLER was born in Center County, Pennsylvania, March 30, 184fi. The family removed to Iowa in 1853, settling at West Union in Fayette County. William E. attended the Upper Iowa University and graduated from the Law Department of the State University in 1870. He then entered upon the practice of his profession at his home