Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 04.djvu/340

 GOESSMANN

GOFF

ity of Providence, built the Providence orphan asylum, and founded for the Sisters of Mercy, two academies and the cathedral school at Bur- lington; established a mother house and academy at Rutland for the Sisters of St. Joseph; an academy and schools for the Sisters of the Con- gregation of Notre Dame at St. Albans and St. Johnsbury, and an academy and schools for the Daughters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary at Burlington, Moutpelier and Svvanton. He also established the Oblate Fathers of the Sacred Heart at Swanton; Brothers of the Christian schools at Burlington and Brothers of St. Gabriel at St. Johnsbury. He visited Rome in 1858 to attend the Vatican council, and again in 1893, when he also visited Palestine. During an inter- view with the pope he was presented with a link of the true chain of St. Peter, one of the most sacred of the possessions of the pope. On June 29, 1892, he was given an assistant in the person of the Rev. John Stephen Micliaud. who was con- secrated titular bishop of Modra and coadjutor- bishop of the diocese of Burlington, and on the death of Bishop de Goesbriand he succeeded to the bishopric. Bishop de Goesbriand is the author of: Tlie Israelite hefare the Ark of the Coi-e- nant and the Christian before the Altar, or History of the Worship of God (2 parts, 1890) ; Sacerdotal Meditations (2 vols., 1892); Christ on the Altar; Catholic Memoirs of Vermont and New Hampshire; History of Confession ; Jesus, the Good Shepherd ; The Labor of the Apostles; St. Peter's Life, and Forty Hours Devotion. He died at the Providence Orphan Asylum, Burlington, Vt.. Nov. 3, 1899.

GOESSMANN, Charles Anthony, chemist, was born in Naumburg. Hessen. Germany, June 13, 1827. He received the degree of Ph.D. from Gottingen university in 18.52 and remained there as privat-docent and assistant in the chemical laboratory till 1857, when he obtained a leave of absence from the government authorities for the purpose of studying the chemical industry of France, England and the United States. After his arrival in America he became connected with the sugar industry of the United States and Cuba. Later he took an active part in the im- provements in the salt industry of New York and Michigan. In 1863-64 he occupied the position of professor of chemistry in the Rensselaer polytechnic institute, Troy, N.Y. He became pro- fessor of chemistry in the Massachusetts agricult- ural college, Amherst, in 1869; chemist of the Massachu.setts state board of health in 1873; di- rector of the Massachusetts state agricultural experiment station in 1882. and analyst to the state board of health in 1883. He was elected president of the American chemical society in 1886, and received the honoi'ary degree of LL.D. from Amherst college in 1889. Of his many pub-

lications the more prominent are those in con- nection with the chemistry of sugar-producing plants, sugar-cane, sorghum, and sugar beet, and their fitness for home production ; investigations- in relation to the chemistry of salines of New York, Michigan, Canada and Louisiana ; and the chemistry of plant food and its relations to various agricultural industries. The results of these investigations are largely contained in his- official reports to respective state departments.

QOFF, Milton B., educator, was born in Alle- gheny City. Pa., Dec. 17, 1831. He was graduated from Allegheny college, Meadville, Pa., in 1855; was professor of mathematics and natural science in Madison college. Union town, Pa., 1855- 57; princii^al of the North Illinois university, Henry, 111., 1857-60; principal of the Sharpsburg, Pa., academy, 1860-63; principal of the Third ward school, Allegheny, Pa., 1863-67; professor of mathematics in the Western university of Pennsylvania, Allegheny, 1867-82; professor of mathematics and astronomy in Allegheny col- lege, 1882-84; and chancellor of the Western university of Pennsylvania, 1884-90. The hon- orary degree of LL.D. was conferred upon him by Allegheny college in 1885. He died in Alle- gheny City, Pa., Nov. 8, 1890.

QOFF, Nathan, cabinet officer, was born in Clarksburg, Va., Feb. 9, 1843; son of Waldo P. and Harriet L. Goff ; grandson of Job GofT, and a descendant of William Goflf. He attended the Northwestern Virginia academy in his native town and Georgetown college. While at the latter institu- tion the civil war opened and he enlLsted as a private in the 3d Virginia Union infantry. By 1864 he was promoted

, USWAR. STATE ft MAW OIPARTVENTS,.

major and on

Januarjr 20 of that year was captured by the Confederates and confined in Libby prison for several months. In March, 1865, he was brev- etted brigadier-general and discharged from the volunteer army, after which he was graduated from the law department of the University of the city of New York in 1807, and began practice at Clarksburg, W. Va. The same year he was elected to the state legislature and in 1868 was appointed by President Johnson U.S. district-attorney for West Virginia, to which office he was reappointed in 1872, 1876 and 1880. In January, 1881, he re- signed as U.S. district attorney to accept the ap- pointment of secretary of the navy in the cabinet of President Hayes. In March, 1881, he was re- appointed U.S. district attorney, resigned in