Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 02.djvu/413

 CORNELL

CORNELL

state senate and re-elected in 1865. In 1863 he projected the Ithaca public library and in 1865 it was completed at a cost of $75,000 and opened to the use of the public as Cornell library. In 1865 he founded Cornell university with an orig- inal endowment of §500,000 subsequently in- creased by personal gifts of nearly as much more. He located, carried, and sold agricultural lands received by the state from the United States government, and secured the proceeds amounting to over $3,000,000 to the further endowment of the university, making his personal benefactions aggregate over $4,000,000, with probably another million realized from the same source before the close of the century. He was a delegate to the Republican national convention at Pittsburg, Pa., 1856; president of the state agricultural society, 1862, and the same year delegate from the society lo the Royal agricultural exhibit, London, Eng- land ; and president of the board of trustees of Cornell university from its foundation in 1865. See his " Life " by Alonzo B. Cornell (1884). He died at Ithaca, N.Y., Dec. 9, 1874.

CORNELL, John Black, philanthropist, was born in Far Rockaway, N.Y., Feb. 7, 1821. He -was brought up on his father's farm, was appren- ticed to an iron founder and in 1847, in connection with his younger brother, William Wiggins Cor- nell, established a foundry in New York city, known as J. B. & W. W. Cornell iron works. He patented revolving iron shutters in 1854 and a metallic support for plaster fireproof partitions in 1856. He devoted a fixed percentage of his -annual income to religious and charitable insti- tutions connected with the Methodist Episco- pal church, and his contributions frequently amounted to $50,000 annually besides the sum given to missions and schools. With his brother he founded the New York city mission and Sun- day school society and erected the Cornell memo- rial church. They also erected a fireproof library building for Drew theological seminary, Madison, N.J., which was not completed until after his death. The aggregate amount of his gifts to religious and charitable purposes is estimated to ■exceed $1,000,000. He was a member of the American bible societj', of the City church exten- sion society, of the General missionarj- society, of the Methodist Episcopal church home society and of the board of managers of the St. Christo- pher home for children. He was president of the board of trustees of Drew theological semi- nary, a member of the Union league club, and the only Christian member of the Hebrew society for the improvement of deaf mutes. He died at Lakewood, N.J., Oct. 26, 1887.

CORNELL, John Henry, musician, was born in New York city, May 8, 1828. He was organist .and choir master in St. John's chapel, New York,

1848-49. He visited the great cathedrals of Europe, studied their methods of musical service, and became a convert to the Roman Catholic church, joining a religious order in Baltimore on his return to the United States. In 1866 he made a second visit to Europe, having with- drawn from the church, and on his return in 1868 he became organist at St. PauFs chapel where he remained nine years In 1868 he was mar- ried to Mary Emma, sister of the Rev. J. McC. Windsor of Tuxedo Park, N.Y. He was after- ward for five years organist of the Brick church (Presbyterian) New York city. He wrote The Vesper- Psalter (1861) ; The Primer of Modern Musi- cal Tonality (1876) ; Tlie Theory and Practice of Musical Form; The Easy Method of Modulation; The Manual of Poman Chant; and The Congrega- tional Tune Book; and translated Ambros's Boundaries of Music and Poetry (1893). He died in New York city, March 1, 1894.

CORNELL, Thomas, representative, was born in White Plains, N.Y., Jan. 27, 1814. He engaged in steamboat ing on the Hudson river between Kingston and New York city, from 1843, which business developed into the Cornell steamboat company, of which he was president until his deatJi. He was founder and during his lifetime the president of the First national bank of Rondout, president of the Rondout savings bank and principal owner of the Ulster & Dela- ware and the Katter skill railroads, and of the Rhinebeck & Kingston ferry. He erected and largely supported the Wurts Street Baptist church in Kingston. He was a representative in the 40th and 47th congi-esses, 1867-69 and 1881-83; a delegate to the Republican national convention of 1884, and a presidential elector in 1888. He died in Kingston, N.Y., March 30. 1890.

CORNELL, William Mason, clergyman, was born in Berkley, Mass.. Oct. 16, 1803; son of William and Abigail (Briggs) Cornell. He was graduated at Brown university in 1827 and was ordained a Congregational minister at Exeter, N.H., Jan. 19, 1830. He was pastor at Wood- stock, Conn.. 1831-34, andatQuincy, Mass., 1834- 39. He then abandoned his profession, studied medicine at the Berkshire medical institution, receiving his M.D. degree in 1844, and established himself in practice in Boston, Mass. At one time he held the chair of physiology and anatomy in the Western university. In 1843 Columbian college conferred upon him the honorary degree of A.M. He also received the degree of LL.D. from the Western university of Pennsylvania in 1863, and that of D.D. from Jefferson college in 1865. He edited the Journal of Health, 1846- 48; Pastor and People and Union Monthly and Journal of Health, 1863-65; and the Guardian oj Health, 1868-69. Among his published writings