Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 04.djvu/78

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convent, an academy, three scliools at Nashville, a select school at Jackson and one at Dayton ; the Dominican sisters who founded St. Cecilia's con- vent and academy, an orphan asylum and schools at Nashville, Notre Dame de Lourdes academy at Chattanooga, and a school at Clarksville ; the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, who founded St. Vincent's infirmary, Chattanooga, St. Mary's academy, Knoxville, and a school for colored children at Dayton, and took charge of the or- phan asylum at Memphis ; and the Sisters of St. Francis, who established St. Josej^h's hospital at Memphis. He was elevated to archbishoii, Sept. 10. 1880, and became the first administrator of the ]jrovince of Chicago, created that year, i-eaching his new field of labor, Nov. 25, 1880. He was a member of the plenary council of Baltimore, 1884. Through his executive ability he greatly ad- vanced the financial as well as spiritual welfare of his province. He died there, July 13, 1902.

FEHRENBACIi, John, educator, was born near Berlin, Ontario, Canada, July 25, 1857 ; son of Mathew and Mary (Halter) Fehrenbach. He received a common school education in his native town, 1867-70, and was gradu.ited from St. Je- rome's college in 1875. He studied for the Roman Catholic priesthood and was ordained in Rome in Maich, 1883. He was vice-president of St. Maiy's college of the Fathers of the Resurrection in Kentucky, 1886-97, and was elected president of the institution in 1897. He received the degree of Ph.D. in 1880, and the degree of D.D. in 1884, from the Roman university.

FELCH, Alpheus, governor of Michigan, was born in Limerick, Maine, Sept. 2B, 1806. He was a grandson of Abijah Feleh, a soldier of the American Revolution, who, on the death of Al- pheus's parents in 1809 adopted the boy as his son. He was prepared for college at Phillips Exeter academy, graduated at Bowdoin in 1827, and practised law in Houlton, Maine, 1830-33. He removed to Monroe, Mich., in 1833, represented Monroe county in the state legislature, 1835, 1836 and 1837, and was a bank commissioner, 1838-39, in which latter position he did great service in putting an end to the existence of the recklessly conducted institutions known as " wild cat '" l)anks. He was auditor -general of the state from February 8 to April 4, 1842. He was appointed associate justice of the supreme court of the state in 1842, removed to Ann Arbor in 1843 and resigned from the bench in 1845, when he was elected, by the Democratic party, governor of the state. lie was inaugtn-ated Jan. 5, 1846, and resigned March 3, 1847, to take his seat in the U.S. senate, having been elected to that body Feb. 3, 1847, for the term expiring March 3, 1853. He was appointed by President Pierce a member of the commission to settle Spanish and Mexican

war claims and served as president of that body, 1853-56, the report of the commission being pub- ished in forty large volumes. He was a regent of the University of Michigan, 1842-47, and Tap- pan professor of law, 1879-83. Bowdoin college conferred upon him the honorary degree of LL. D. in 1877. He was president of the Michigan pio- neer and historical society, and in 1895, on the occasion of the inauguration of Governor John T. Rich, he delivered an address outlining the marvellous growth of the state from the time he witnessed the oath of office administered to Stephen T. Mason, the first governor. lie died at Ann Arbor, Mich., June 13, 1896.

FELDER, John Myers, representative, was born in Orangeburg district, S.C., July 7, 1782. He was graduated from Yale in 1804, studied law at Litchfield, Conn., and was admitted to the South Carolina bar in 1808. He held a major's commission in the war of 1812, and served several terms in the state legislature. He was a Demo- cratic representative in the 22d and 23d con- gresses, 1831-35, declining to be a candidate for a third term. About 1830 he retired from pro- fessional life and became a mill owner and planter. He was a state senator, 1840-51. He died at Union Point, Ga., Sept. 1, 1851.

FELL, Thomas, educator, was born in Eng- land, July 15, 1851; son of Thomas and Hannah (Corrv) Fell. His father was a staff' surgeon on boai'd H.M.S. Brandon and died in the Crimea during the war against Russia in 1855. He was lineally descended from Thomas Fell, Swarlh- more, Ulverstone, England, who did much to support the cause of the Society of Friends during the time of their persecu- tion in England in the seventeenth century. Dr. Fell was educated at the Royal institu- tion school, Liver- pool, England, until 1866, after which he entered King's col- lege, London, ami subsequently matric- ulated at the London university. At the close of his collegiate

career lie travelled for .some years through Europe, Egypt, India and China. He was mar- ried in 1881 to Isabella Louisa, daughter of Wil- liam L. Hunter of New York and subsequently removed with his family to Baltimore, Md. In 1884 he was appointed professor of ancient and modern languages at New "Windsor college, Md.,