Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 07.djvu/346

 MEAD

MEAD

MEAD, Edwin Doak, editor, was born in Chesterfield, N. H.,Sept. 29, 1849; son of Bradley and Sarah (Stone) Mead; grandson of Levi and Betsey (Converse) Mead, and a descendant of Gabriel Mea<l, who came from England to Manchester, Mass., about 1635. He was educated in the public schools of Chesterfield and was employed on his father's farm and in the village store until 1866, when he removed to Boston, Mass., and was in the employ of Ticknor & Fields, 1866-75. He was a candidate for orders in the Protestant Episcopal church in 1874, but hie never entered the ministry. He studied in the universities of Cambridge and Leipzig, 1875-79, and on his return to Boston engaged in lectur- ing and literary work. From 1883 he directed the Old South work in Boston, devoted to historical and political teaching and study, editing in con- nection the Old South Leaflets; and he was editor of the Neiv England Magazine, 1889-1901. He was for many years president of the Massachusetts So- ciety for Promoting Good Citizenship, was the first secretary of the Boston Municipal League and first president of the Twentieth Century club of Boston. He whs married, Sept. 29, 1898. to Lucia True, daughter of Nathan P. and Elvira Ames, of Boscawen, N.H. In 1901, with his wife, he visited Europe, where he represented the United States in the Prison Reform congress. He contributed to magazines and newspapers on religious and political subjects, edited Faith and Freedom, by Stopford A. Brooke (1881), and is the author, of: The Philosophy of Carlyle (1881); Martin Luther, a Study of Reformation (1884); and TJie Roman Catholic Church and the Public Schools {18S9).

MEAD, Elizabeth Storrs (Billings), educator, was born in Conway, Mass., May 21, 1832; daugh- ter of Colonel Charles Eugene and Sarah Willis- ton (Storrs) Billings; a granddaughter of William and Jerusha (Williams) Billings, and a descendant of Roger Billings, who settled at Dorches- ter, Mass., previous to 1640. She was educated with her twin sister in the seminary at Ipswich, Mass., 1849-51; taught the high school at Northampton, Mass., in 1851-52, and taught in a boarding school for young ladies at Andover, Mass., under the direction of her sister, Jerusha Williams, wife of Prof. B. B. Edwards, of Andover Theological

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seminary, 1852-58. She was married, Aug. 5, 1858, to Prof. Hiram Mead, D.D., of Cornwall, Vt., and resided with him in South Hadley, Mass., where he was pastor, 1858-67; in Nashua, N.H., 1867-69, and Oberlin, in Ohio, 1869-81. After the death of Dr. Mead in 1881, she was a teacher at Oberlin college, 1881-83, and at Abbott academy, Andover, Mass., 1883-89. She travelled in Europe, 1889-90, became president of Mt. Hol- yoke seminary and college in 1890; and was president of Mt. Holyoke college, 1863-1901. She resigned in June, 1899, to take effect in June, 1900, feeling the need of relief from hard work, but b}' request of trustees remained until Janu- ary, 1901. She visited Europe in 1901, where she prepared rep)orts for the U.S. commissioner of education on women's education in England. She received the degree of M.A. from Oberlin college in 1870 and that of L.H.D. from Smith college in 1900.

MEAD, Larkin Goldsmith, sculptor, was born in Chesterfield, N.H., Jan. 3, 1835; son of Larkin Goldsmith and Mary Jane (Noyes) Mead: grand- son of Levi and Betsey (Converse) Mead and of the Hon. John Noyes, of Putney, Vt. His parents removed to Brattle- boro, Vt., in 1839, where liis father was a prominent lawyer. Larkin was educated in the public schools and was employed as a clerk in a hardware store in Brattleljoro in 1850. His artistic abilities were first brought prominently to light by his model- ing of a colossal figure of an angel, in snow, a newspaper account of which attracted

the attention of Nicholas Longworth of Cincin- nati, who provided for his art education. He stud- ied under Henry Kirke Brown in Brooklyn, N.Y., 1853-55, and in the latter year established a studio in New York city. He produced the *' Recording Angel "(1855); the colossal statue of " Vermont '* on the dome of the state house at Montpelier, Vt. (1857), and the statue of Ethan Allen at the en- trance to the state house (1861). He was with the Army of the Potomac in 1861, and contributed to New York papers illustrated articles on camp and battle scenes. He went to Florence, Italy, in 1862, where he became professor of sculpture in the Academy of Fine Arts. He was also attached to the U.S. consulate at Venice, where his brother-in-law, William Dean Howells, was con- sul. 1862-65. He was married in 1864 to Marietta

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