Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 01.djvu/267

 BECK.

BECKHAM.

BECK, John Broadhead, physician, was born at Schenectady, N. Y., Sept. 18, 1794; son of Caleb Beck and brother of Theodoric Romeyn Beck. He was educated by his uncle, John B. Romeyn, a Dutch Reformed clergyman, and was graduated at Columbia college in 1813. He studied medicine and established himself in prac- tice in New York city, taking high rank in his profession. He was for seven years editor-in- chief of the New York Medical and Physical Jour- nal, and occupied, at different times from 1826 to 1851, the chairs of materia medica, botany and medical jurisprudence in the N. Y. college of physicians and surgeons. He was for ten years physician of the N. Y. hospital. His most im- portant writings are: " Medical Essays " (1845); "Infant Therapeutics" (1849), and "Historical Sketch of the State of Medicine in the Colonies " (1850). He assisted his brother in the prepara- tion of " Medical Jurisprudence " (1823), a work that became a standard authority. He died at Rhinebeck, N. Y., April 9, 1851.

BECK, Theodoric Romeyn, physician, was born in Schenectady, N. Y., April 11, 1791; son of Caleb Beck, of English descent. He obtained his education at Union college, where he was graduated in 1807. He then studied medicine at the College of physicians and surgeons in New York city. After taking his degree, in 1811, he began his practice in Albany. He accepted the chair of medicine and was lecturer on medical jur- isprudence in the College of physicians and stur- geons of western New York, at Fairfield. The trustees of Albany academy made him principal in 1817, which position he held for thirty -one years. He was professor of medical jurisprudence at the college at Fairfield from 1826 to 1836, and professor of materia medica for the following four years. In 1840 he was appointed to fill a similar chair in the Albany medical college, where he remained for fourteen years. Meanwhile he held positions as president of the New York state medical society, manager of the State lunatic asylum and president of its board of managers, and editor of the American Journal of Insanity. He wrote nimierous scientific articles which were published in periodicals. He was the author of " An Inaugural Dis.sertation on Insanity " (1811), and, in connection with his brother John, " Ele- ments of Medical Jurisprudence " (2 vols., 1823), which reached its twelfth edition in 1863. He died in Utica, N. Y., Nov. 19, 1855.

BECKER, George Ferdinand, geologist, was born in New York city, Jan. 5, 1847. He was graduated at Harvard, with the class of 1868, pursued his scientific studies at Heidelberg, where he was made doctor of philosophy in 1869, passing the final examinations of the Royal school of mines at Berlin in 1871. He was connected for

some time with the U. S. geological survey, being stationed in the California division, and later was appointed special agent in connection with the precious metal department of the census bureau. He made many valuable contributions to the literature of science, including: " Atomic Weight Determinations: a Digest of the Investigations Published since 1814" (1880); "Geology of the Comstock Lode and the Washoe District " (1882) ; ' ' Statistics and Technology of the Precious Metals " (with S. F. Emmons, 1885) ; " Geomet- rical Form of Volcanic Cones " (1885) ; " Notes on the Stratigraphy of California " (1885) ; " Cretaceous Metamorphic Rocks of California" (1886) ; " A Theorem of Maximum Dissipativity " and " A New Law of Thermo-Chemistry " (1886) ; "Geology of the Quicksilver Deposits of the Pacific Slopes " (1886) ; " Finite Homogeneous Strain, Flow and Rupture of Rocks " (1893), and " Gold Fields of the Southern Appalachians " (1895). Reports on Geology of Philippines (1899).

BECKER, Thomas Andrew, R. C. bishop, was born in Pittsburg, Pa., Dec. 20, 1832, of Protes- tant parents. He was converted to the Roman Catholic faith ; fitted for the priesthood in the Propaganda, Rome, where lie received the degree D.D. and was ordained priest there June 18, 1859. He returned to the United States ; was rector at Martinsburg and Berkeley Springs, Va., during the Civil War, and secretary to Archbishop Spald- ing at St. Peter's, Baltimore, Md., in 1865, sub- sequently becoming professor of theology, eccles- iastical history and sacred scripture in Mt. St. Mary's college, Emmittsburg, Md. He was secretary of the plenary council in Baltimore, 1866, and assistant in the cathedral at Richmond, Va., until consecrated bishop of the new diocese of Wilmington, Del., Aug. 23, 1868. He origi- nated and was influential in establishing a cath- olic university in the United States. He was transferred to the diocese of Savannah, Ga., March 26, 1886. He died at Washington, Ga., July 2, 1899.

BECKHAM, John Crepps Wickliffe, governor of Kentucky, was born at Wickland, Bardstown, Ky., Aug. 5, 1869, son of William N. and Julia (Wickliffe) Beckham, and grandson of Gov. Charles Wickliffe, postmaster general under President Tyler, 1841-'5, and a descendant of Elisha Wickliffe who emigrated from England to America in 1748. John was educated in the public schools, served as page in the Kentucky house of representatives, 1881-'2 and attended Central university at Richmond. Ky., 1884-'86 He was principal of the high school at Bardstown Ky., 1888-91 ; studied law, was admitted to the bar, and engaged in practice in 1893. He was a representative in the state legislature in 1893, 1896, and 1897 and speaker of the house in 1898.