Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 02.djvu/429

 COULTER

COURTENAY

delphia. In 1852 he made a decided success as Luke Fielding in " The AVillow Copse. "" In 18o4 he began to star in " OtheUo,"' "Hamlet," " Richard III.," "Richelieu," and " The Willow Copse," and in 1857 joined Laura Keene's com- pany in New York citj'. On Oct. 18, 1858, he plaj-ed Abel ]\Iui-cott in the first performance on any stage of " Our American Cousin." He sub- sequently acted with Jolm E. Owen's company at New Orleans, and then began a series of inter- mittent starring seasons which lasted a number of years. In February, 1880, when at the Madi- son square theatre, he made a success as the father in "Hazel Kirke."" He played Dunstan Kirke 275 consecutive times in New York city, and afterward for five years on his professional tours. The famous all-star cast of " The Rivals," with Joseph Jefferson and Mrs. John Drew at its head, first appeared on May 7, 1895, at the Fifth Avenue theatre as a testimonial to Mr. Coul- dock. His last appeai-ance was as Dunstan Kirke at the Star theatre, New York, Sept. 5, 1898. He died in New York city, Nov. 27, 1898.

COULTER, John Merle, botanist, was born in Ningpo, China, Nov. 20, 1851; son of the Rev. Moses and Clara (Crowe) Coulter, missionaries, and grandson of John Finley Crowe, D.D., founder of Hanover college. He was graduated at Hanover college, Indiana, in 1870, and was botanist to the U.S. geological surA-ey of the ter- ritories, 1872-74. He was professor of natural sciences in Hanover college, 1874-79, occupied the chair of botany and geology at "Wabash col- lege, 1879-91, was president of Indiana univer- sity, and professor of botany there, 1891-93; president of Lake Forest university, 1893-96, and head profes.sor of botany in the University of Chicago fronr 1896. He was special agent of botany, U.S. department of agriculture, from 1887; president of the Indiana academy of sciences in 1887; vice-president of the American association for the advancement of science, 1891; principal of Bay View summer university' from 1893, and principal of Winona smnmer school from 1895; president of the Botanical society of America, 1897-98; and associate fellow of the American academy of arts and sciences from 1898. He received the degrees of A.M. in 1873 and of Ph. D. in 1882 from Hanover college, and that of Ph. D. from the University of Indiana in 1882. In 1875, at Hanover, he founded and became editor of the Botanical Gazette, which was con- tinued as one of the journals of the University of Chicago. He published The Flora of Colorado (with Professor Porter, 1873); Manual of liocky Mountain Botany (1885); Handbook of Plant Dis- section (with Professors Arthur and Barnes, 1886); Revision of Gray's Manual of Botany (6th ed.,with Sereno Watson. 1890); Manual of the

Botany of Western Texas (1892-94); and contribu- tions to periodical literature.

COURTENAY, Edward Henry, mathema- tician, was born in Maryland in 1803. He was graduated at the U.S. military academy, the first in the class of 1821 and was made assistant professor of natural and experimental philosophy and subsequently professor of engineering, re- maining at the academy as instructor, 1821-24. He was assistant engineer in the construction of Fort Adams, R.I., 1824-26, and held the chair of natural and experimental pliilosophy at the military academy, 1829-34, when he resigned from the army to accept the profes.sorship of mathematics in the University of Pennsylvania. He was division engineer on the Erie railway, 1836-37, and re-entering the army was engaged on the construction of Fort Independence, Bos- ton harbor, 1837—11, and as chief engineer in the construction of the dry dock, Brooklj-n navy yard, 1841—42. He was pi'ofessor of matliematics in the Universitj' of Virginia, 1842-53. He re- ceived the honorary degree of A.M. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1834 and that of LL. D. from Hampden-Sidney college, Virginia, in 1846. He published a translation of Bouchar- lat's Elementary Treatise on Mechanics (1833), used as a textbook in the U.S. military academy, and wrote Treatise on Differential and Integral Calctilus and Calculus of Variations (1855). He died in Charlotteville. Va.. Dec. 21. 1853.

COURTENAY, William Ashmead, manufact- urer, was born in Charleston, S.C., Feb. 4, 1831; son of Edward Smith and Elizabeth (Wade) Coxirtenay and grandson of Edward Courtenay of Newry, Ireland, who settled in Charleston, S.C., in 1791, and was a merchant there until liis death in 1807. With onh* a limited education William went into business in his fif- teenth year, and Avith his brother conducted a bookselling and pub- lishing business in his native city, 1850-60. During the civil war he was an officer in the Confederate army, after which he returned to Charles- ton and engaged in the shipping and com- mission business for about twenty years with success. As commander of the Washing- ton light infantry, he was largely instrumental in erecting monuments to Colonel William Wash- ington of the Revolution (1858); to General Daniel Morgan (1881); to "The heroes of the

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