Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 04.djvu/140

 FLETCHER

FLETCHER

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FLETCHER, Loren, representative, was born at Jit. Vernon, Maine, April 10, 1833. He at- tended the Maine "Wesleyan seminary at Kent's Hill, Maine, and was emploj-ed in a lumber con- cern in Bangor, Maine, 1853-56. In the latter year lie removed to Minneapolis, Minn., where he engaged in manufacturing and mercantile pur- suits. He was a representative in the state legislature, 1872-75, 1877, and 1881-84, being speaker of the liouse, 1881-84. He was a Repub- lican representative in the 53d, 54th, 55th, 56th, 57th congresses, 1893-1903.

FLETCHER, Mary Martha, pliilanthropist, was born in Jericlio, Vt., Sept. 30, 1830; daughter of Thaddeus Russell and Mary Laurence (Peas- lee) Fletcher, and granddaughter of James and Catherine (Russell) Fletcher. Slie was educated in the schools of Burlington, Vt. In 1873, vi-ith lier mother, Mrs. ]\Iary L. Fletcher, she founded the Fletcher free library by a gift of §24,000 for books on condition that the city provide a build- ing. In 1870 & ^■^■'. »,*t .--he gave to the

! '■ of Burling- I §200,000 to " ■' /.v'^.-; ., -Vs, ^ ■ I'l the Mary

'-, ■'%'-'■'■.: \]ji irher hos-

_-, ill. This hos- pital which was dedicated and

THE MARY ruETCHER HOSPITAL. OpeUCd Jan. 21,

1879, on the death of Miss Fletcher in 1885, came into the possession of the bulk of the estate, amounting to about §340.000. In addition to founding the Fletcher free library and the Mary Fletcher hospital. Miss Fletcher by her will left the sum of §5.000 to the Winooski Avenue Con- gi-egational church, Burlington. She died in Burlington, Vt., Feb. 24, 1885.

FLETCHER, Richard, representative, was born in Cavendish, Vt., Jan. 8, 1788; son of Dr. Asaph and Sarah (Green) Fletcher. He was graduated from Dartmouth, A.B., 1806, A.M., 1809, and in the latter year was admitted to the bar, beginning practice in Salisbury, N.H. In 1819 he removed to Boston, Mass., and was later elected a vejiresentative in the state legislature. He was a "Wliig representative from Massachu- setts in the 25th congress, 1837-39, defeating Charles Sumner. He was associate justice of the Mas.sachusetts supreme court, 1848-53. In 1858 he retired fiom the active practise of his profes- sion. He was a trustee of Brown, 1832-85; of Dartmouth, 1848-57, and an overseer of Harvard, 1854—56. Brown conferred upon him the hono- rary degree of A.M. in 1839; Dartmouth that of LL.D. in 1846, and Harvard that of LL.D. in 1849. He bequeathed to Dartmouth college over $100,000. He died in Boston, Mass., June 21, 1869.

FLETCHER, Robert, pliysician, was born at Bristol, England, March 6, 1823; son of Robert and Estlier (Wall) Fletcher. He was educated at private schools, and in 1837-39 studied law under his father who was an attorney. He then began the study of medicine, and in 1844 received diplomas from the Royal college of sur- geons of England, and the Society of apothecaries. In 1847 he removed to Cincin- nati, Ohio, and in 1861 was appointed sur- geon of the 1st regiment of Ohio volunteer infantry, and subsequently

surgeon, U.S.V. For his service in the war he received /^^ jP/^y-^ the brevet ranks v^^T^^V/S/^t^^tf^^S^^^f--

of lieutenant-colonel ^-~-___.^^

and colonel. He removed to Washington, D.C., in 1871, and in 1876 engaged with Dr. John Shaw Billings in preparing the "Index Catalogue of the Library- of the Surgeon-General's Office, U.S.A.," of which twenty volumes had been issued in 1899. In 1879, in conjunction with Dr. Billings, he founded and edited the Index Medictix which was completed in 1899 with the publica- tion of its twenty -first volume. He was lecturer on medical jurisprudence in the Columbian uni- versity, 1844-48, and in 1897 became lecturer on the same subject at the Johns Hopkins university, medical department. He was president of the Ajitlu-opological society, the Philosophical so- ciety and the Literary society of Washington, and was elected a member of the Biological, the Geographic and Historical societies of the same city. He also became a member of the Societr Frani;aise d'Hygiene (Paris), the American academy of political and social science, the American folk-lore society, American statisticr.l association, and a fellow of the American asso elation for the advancement of science. He received the honorary degi'ee of M.D. from the Columbian university in 1884, and was made an associate fellow of the College of physicians cf Philadelphia in 1895. His published writings include; Prehistoric Trejyhiiiiiig and Cranial Anui- lets (1883); Paul Broca and the French School of Anthropology (1882); Human Proportion in Art and Anthropometi-y (1883); A Study of Itecent Ex- periments in Serpent Venom (1883); Tattooin;/ Among Civilized Peoples (1883); The Aew School of Criminal Anthropology (1891); Anatomy and Art (1895); Medical Lore in the Older English Drama- tists and Poets (1895); The Witches' Pharmacopeia