Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 06.djvu/366

 LATTA

LATTIMORE

in founding tlie republic of Liberia, and prepared the first map of tliat region. He was also instru- mental in the establishment of a Maryland colony at Cape Palmas, for which an appropriation of $275,000 was made by the legislature of the state. He prepared a form of government for the colony and after a successful existence for twenty years the colony was annexed to the Liberian republic. He was the inventor of the stove known as the '* Baltimore heater," of which in 1890 there were 50,000 used in Baltimore alone. He was a mem- ber of the Maryland Colonization society ; suc- ceeded Henry Clay as president of the National Colonization society in 1853 ; was president of the board of visitors to the U.S. Military academy in 1849 ; president of the Maryland Historical society and president of the American branch of the Association for the Exploration of Africa ; and was the originator of the park system of the city of Baltimore. He was also an accomplished artist. He is the author of : Biography of Charles Carroll of Carrollton (1824); Justices' Practice (1825); A Series of Juvenile Books (1826); Scotts' Infantry ayid Rifle Tactics (1828); Picture of Baltimore (1832); History of Mason and Dixon's Line (1854); Personal Recollections of the Balti- more and Ohio Railroad (1858); Hints for Six Months in Exirope (1869) ; a volume of poems en- titled Odds and Ends (1876); History of Mary- land in Liberia (1885); Reminiscences of West Point, ISIS to 1S22 (1887), and several novelettes. He died in Baltimore, Md., Sept. 11, 1891.

LATTA, Alexander Bonner, inventor, was born in Ross county, Ohio, June 11, 1821. He was employed in a cotton factory and subse- quently in the navy yard at Washington, D.C., where he learned the trade of machinist. He operated the first iron planing-machine used in Cincinnati, Ohio ; was foreman in a machine shop in that city, and constructed the first locomotive built west of the Alleghany mountains and used on the Little Miami railroad. He invented im- provements in locomotives, and in 1852 con- structed and patented a steam fire engine which he greatly improved in 1853, and for which he received a gold medal at the Ohio Mechanics' In- stitute fair in 1854. He retired from the business of building steam fire engines in 1862, and in 1863 he introduced the manufacture of aerated bread in Cincinnati. He also made several im- provements in oil well machinery, and in loco- motive and fire-engine boilers. He died in Lud- low, Ky., April 28, 1865.

LATTA, James, educator, was born in Ireland, in 1732 ; son of James and Mary (Alison) Latta. His parents brought him to America and he was among the early students at the College of Phila- delphia, entering May 25, 1754, and was graduated salutatorian at the first commencement, in the

class of 1757. He was a tutor in the college, 1756-59, when he resigned to complete his prep- aration for the Presbyterian ministry, studying^ with the Rev. Dr. Francis Alison, vice-provost of the College of Philadelphia, 1755-79. He was a missionary in Vix-ginia and the Carolinas, 1759- 61 ; stationed at Deep Run, Bucks county, 1761- 70, and at Chestnut Level, Lancaster county, 1770-1801. He was the moderator of the third general assembly of the Presbyterian church in America. He established and conducted a flour- ishing school at Chestnut Level, which was sus- pended by the outbreak of the American Revolu- tion, and he then joined the army as private and served as chaplain. Subsequently another school in the bounds of his congregation being without. a principal he conducted it for several years and he became well-known as an educator. He mar- ried Mary McCalla and had sons : the Rev. Fran- cis Alison, University of Pennsylvania, 1790 ; the Rev. William, University of Pennsylvania, 1794 ; the Rev. John Ewing, University of Pennsylva- nia, 1795, and the Rev. James, Jr., ordained April 3, 1811, all Presbyterian clergymen. He received the degree of A.M. from the College of Philadelphia, in course, and the honorary degree of D.D. from the University of Pennsylvania irL 1799. He is the author of Psalmody, and sermons. He died at Chestnut Level, Pa., Jan. 29, 1801.

LATTinORE, John Compere, educator, was born in Marion, Ala., March 25, 1862; son of John Lee and Sarah Catherine Lattimore ; grand- son of the Rev. Samuel Stockton Lattimore. He was graduated from the National normal college, Lebanon, Ohio, in 1886 ; was superintendent of schools. Falls county, Texas, 1887-90, principal of the preparatoiy school at Baylor university, Waco, Texas, 1890-92 ; professor of mathematics at Baylor university, 1892-97, and chairman of the faculty, 1897-99. He was also graduated from that institution. B.S., 1895, M.S., 1896. He was elected president of the Texas State Teachers' association in 1898. He resigned his position in Baylor university in 1899 to accept the superin- tendency of city schools in Waco, Texas. In 1901 he was a member of the state board of ex- aminers. He was married, June 20, 1889, to> Lucy Edens, of Okolona, Miss.

LATTIMORE, Samuel Allan, educator, was born in Union county, Ind., May 31, 1828 ; son of Samuel and Mary (Poague) Lattimore. He was graduated from Indiana Asbury university, A.B., 1850, A.M., 1853, and remained there as classical tutor, 1850-52, and as professor of Greek, 1852-60. He was professor of chemistry in Genesee col- lege, 1860-67, and in the Universitj' of Rochester, from 1867, chairman of the executive committee of the faculty, 1886-96, and acting president of the university, 1896-98. He was made consulting.