Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 04.djvu/268

 GARRETT

GARRISON

feeder of the Baltimore and Ohio system. In 1879 he was elected third vice-president of the Baltimore and Ohio company. He was an mcor- porator of the American Union telegraph com- pany organized in opposition to the Western Union, and subsequently absorbed by the latter corporation. On July 13, 1881, he was elected first vice-president of the Baltimore and Ohio company and in 1884 on the death of his father became president of the system and so continued until 1887, when he resigned by reason of im- jiaired health. It was during a business inter- view between President Garrett and William H. Vanderbilt, at the latter's home in New York that Vanderbilt died suddenly from a shook of apo- plexy, Dec. 8, 1883. Robert Garrett was ' mar- ried, in 1882, to Mary, daughter of William F. Frick, and they had no children. He died at the home of his sister-in-law, the widow of Thomas H. Garrett, at Deer Park, 5M., July 29, 1896.

QARRETT, William Robertson, educator, was born at Williamsburg, Va., April 12, 1839; son of Dr. Robert Major and Susan Comfort (Winder) Garrett. On the mother's side he de- scended from Sir Geoi-ge Yeardly, the colonial governor of Virginia, who summoned the first legislative assembly in 1019. He was prepared for college at the Williamsburg military acad- emy, and was graduated from William and Mary in 18.")8, with the degree of A.M. He was ad- mitted to the bar in 1800 and practised until tlie civil war broke out, when he joined the Confed- era,te army as captain of an artillery company. On the expiration of his term of enlistment he joined the Ranger service, afterward the 11th Tennessee cavaUy, and -served first as adjutant and later as captain. After the close of the war he resumed the practice of law in his native town, but soon after accepted the position of jirincipal of the grammar school of William and Mary college. In January, 1808, he removed to Tennessee, taught school for a time at Corners - ville, and then became professor of history and English literature in Giles college, Pulaski, Tenn. In 1873 he was elected county superintendent of schools for Giles comity, and in 1874 returned to Corners ville to become principal of the academy at that place. He lield the chair of mathematics in the Montgomery Bell academy of the Univer- sity of Nashville, 1875-91, resigning to become .superintendent of public instruction for the state of Tennessee. He then served for a short time as principal of the military academy in Nashville. In 189.5 lie was elected professor of American his- tory in the Peabody normal college of the Uni- versity of Nashville. He was president of the Tennessee state teacher's association ; secretary and afterward president of the National educa- tional association, and president at the inter-

national meeting at Toronto, Canada. He was editor of the Hottthwesteni Journal of Education, 1885-91, and became editor of the American His- torical Magazine in 1895. The University of Nash- ville conferred upon him the degree of Ph.D. in 1891. His published writings consist chiefly of educational and historical papers, addresses, magazine articles, and contributions to the cyclo- pedias. He is the author of Geoyraphy of Ten- nessee, and of the chapter on The South as a Factor in the Territorial Growth of the United States in the Confederate History, of which Gen. C. A. Evans was chief editor. He was chosen vice-president of the Confederate memorial association.

GARRISON, Cornelius Kingsland, financier, was born at West Point, X.Y.. March 1, 1809; .son of Oliver and Catherine (Kingsland) Garrison. His paternal ancestors were Garrisons and Cov- erts, and his maternal, Kingslands and Schuylers. His great-grandmother was a second cousin of Mrs. Alexander Hamilton. He studied architect- ure and engineering and in 1830 he became presi- dent of the Canadian Construction Co., and was interested in the construction of steamboats for the Canadian lakes, 1834-39. In 1839 he removed to St. Louis, Mo. , where he became prominently identified with Mississippi navigation. In 1853 he went to Panama, where he founded the bank- ing firm of Garrison, Fritz and Ralston, and the same year became president of the Nicaragua steamship company. He was elected mayor of San Francisco, Cal., in 1850, and at the close of his term was presented with a service of foi'ty pieces made from California gold. The movement which led to the establishment of the Pacific mail steamship company was organized by him and he agitated the question of a trans-continental rail- road. In 1859 he removed to New York city, and during the civil war placed both money and ships at the disposal of the government. He was elt'cte 1 president of the Missouri Pacific system, dpveliiiu'd from the Pacific raih-oad of Missouri. He died in New York city. May 1, 1885.

GARRISON, George Tankard, representative. was born at Aceomac, Va., Jan 14, 1835. He was graduated at Dickinson college in 1854, and from the law department of the University of Virginia in 1857. He practised law in his native place until 1801, when he joined the Confederate army. Later in the same year he was elected to the state legislature and served in that body until 1865. He was circuit judge, 1870-80, and a rep- resentative in the 47th and 4Sth congresses. 1881- 85. He died at Aceomac, Va., May 30, 1889.

GARRISON, Joseph Fithian, clergyman, was born in Fairton, N.J., Jan. 20, 1823. He was graduated at the College of New Jersey in 1842, and from the medical department of the Univer- sity of Pennsylvania in 1845. In 1855 he was or-