Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 03.djvu/86

 CUMMINGS

CUMMINS

first branch of the city council in 1890, the first colored niiin in Baltimore to hold an elective office, anil was again elected in 1897. He was re elected in 1891 and that year succeeded in obtaining a city ordinance permitting the estab- lishment of a manual training scliool for colored youths, which was opened in September, 1892. He was a delegate to the Republican national convention of 1892.

CUMMINGS, John, merchant, was born in Woburn, Mass., Oct. 19, 1812; son of John and Marcia Cummings; grandson of Ebenezer Cum- mings; and great-grandson of David Cununings, ■who settled in Woburn in 17.>"). He was edu- c<ited at Warren academy and at a private school in Reading, and entered his father's leather store in Boston in 1835. He succeeded his father who retired from active business in 1847 and in 1852 the firm became Alley, Choate and Cummings. In 1888 Mr. Cummings retired after fifty -three years of active business life. He served as presi- dent of the Sliawmut bank twenty-nine years, and as president of the Boston board of trade ; of the Shoe and Leather association ; of the Commer- cial club; as vice-president or director of the Massachusetts charitable meclianic association, of the Massachu-setts horticultural society, of the Perkins institute for the blind, of the Massa- chusetts school for the feeble-minded, of the Boston and Albanj' railroad, and of the Eastern railroad; and trustee and chairman of the Woburn public library'. He was one of the in- corporators of the Massachusetts institute of technology, its treasurer, 1872-89, and a member of its executive board from its organization. The laboratories of mining and metallurgy in that institution were named for him in recogni- tion of his services. He was a representative and senator in the Massachusetts legislature and a member of the board of finance of the Centen- nial exhibition at Philadelphia in 1876. He gave his valuable collection of natural history speci- mens to the Woburn public library and the school building of his native town bears his name. He died in Woburn, Mass., Dec. 21, 1898.

CUMMINGS, Joseph, educator, was born in Falmouth, Cumberland county, Maine, March 3, 1817. He was graduated at Wesleyan university in 1B40; was professor of natural sciences and mathematics in the Amenia (N.Y.) seminary, 1840-43, and principal, 1843-46. He joined the New England conference of the M.E. church, 1846, and was stationed at Maiden, Chelsea, Hanover street and Bromfield street, Boston, 1846-53. He was professor of theology in the Methodist general Biblical institute. Concord. N.H., 1853; pre.sident of Genesee college, Lima, N.Y., 1854-57; president of Wesleyan university, 1857-75; profe.ssor of mental philosophy and ix>Litical economy, Wes-

leyan university, 1875-77; stationed at Maiden, Mass.. 1877-79, and at Harvard street, Cambridge, 1880-81. He was president of the Northwestern university, Evanston, 111., 1881-90. He was a delegate to the general conference of the M.E. church. 1864, 1876, ISSO and 1884, and a member of the American association for tlie advancement of science. He received the degree of D.D. from Wesleyan in 1854 and from Harvard in 1861, and that of LL. D. from Northwestern university in 1866. He edited Bnllcr's Analo'jy of Eeliyion (1875) and published addresses and .sermons. He died at Evanston, 111.. :May 7, l,s90.

CUMMINGS, Thomas Seir, artist, was born in Bath. England, Aug. ','6, 1H04. His fatlier engaged in mercantile business in New York city soon after the birth of the son. He attended the New York public schools and in 1828 was em- ployed in a mercantile house. He devoted his leisure to art and in 1831 abandoned business to study drawing under Henry Inman. His spe- cialty was miniatures in water colors. In 1825 he met with other artists in the studio of S. F. B. Morse to form the New York drawing associa- tion, which early in 1826 became the National academy of the arts of design, and of which Mr. Cummings was treasurer for forty years and in 1849 was elected vice-president. He was super- intendent of the schools of the academy and chairman of the building committee of two which carried out the erection of the $250,000 building. He organized, about 1828, the Sketch club, which became the Artist's sketch club in 1844, and the Century association in. 1846. In 1838 he was appointed by Governor Seward brig- adier-general in the N.Y. state militia, having served as a private and officer and attained the rank of colonel. He was professor of the arts of design in the University of the city of New York, 1844-67. He is the author of Historical Annals of the XntionnI Arndnny of Desifjn (1865). He died at Ilackeusack, N. J., Sept. 24, 1894.

CUMMINS, George David, assistant bishop of Kentucky and 81st in succession in the American episcopate, was born near Smyrna, Kent county, Del., Dec. 11, 1822. He was graduated at Dick- inson college in 1841 and in 1842 became a preacher in the Methodist Episcopal church. He then .studied theology in the P.E. seminary and was admitted to tlie diaconate of the Protestant Episcopal church in 1845 and ordained a jiriest in 1847. He was rector of Christ church, Norfolk, Va. ; St. James, Richmond, Va. ; Trinity, Wash- ington. D.C. ; St. Peter's, Baltimore, Md., and Trinity, Chicago. III. He was elected assistant to Bishop Smith of Kentucky and was consecra- ted Nov. 15, 1866. He was deposed from his office as priest and bishop, June 24, 1874, having resigned in 1873 on founding what became known