Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 08.djvu/146

 OLSSEN

ONDERDONK

attorney-general from:\Iarch 6, 1803, to June 8, 1895. and as secretary of state from June 10, 1895, to Marcli 4. 1897. In March, 1897, lie resumed the practice of law in Boston. He received the hon- orary degree of LL.D. from Harvard in 1893, from Brown in 1894, and from Yale in 1901,

OLSSEN, William Whlttlngham, educator, was Ixnii in Xi>w York city, May 11. 1827', son of Edward Jones and Abigail Ann (Cronin) Olssen, and grandson of James Olssen of Copenliagen, Denmark, and liis wife Mary Ann Jones of Bristol, England. He was prepared for college by the Rev. Robert \V. Harris, D.D., at White Plains, N.Y., and was graduated at Columbia college, A.B.. 1846, A.M., 1850, and at the General Theolo- gical seminary in 1849. He was admitted to the diaconate in Holy Trinity church, Brooklyn, N.Y., by Bishop Whittingham, July 1, 1849; was a missionary at Pratts villa, N.Y., 1849-50, and was ordaine<l priest in Grace church, Brook- lyn, N.Y., by Bishop De Lancy, June 29, 1851. He was married, April 24, 1851, to Louisa, daughter of Ricliard and Mary Ann (Rollinson) Whittingliam of New York city. He was rector of the church of St. James the Less at Scarsdale, N.Y., 1851-71; professor of mathematics in St. Sfceplien's college, Annandale, N.Y., 1871-73; of Greek and Hebrew language and literature, 1873- 90, of Englisli literature and history, 1890-94, and of mathematics again from 1894. He received the degree S.T.D. from Columbia in 1876. He is the author of: Personality, Human and Divine (18S2); Revelation, Universal and Special {1885), and of contributions to church periodicals.

OLSSON, Olof, educator, was born in Bj5r- torp, Vermland, Sweden, March 31, 1841, He was graduated at Upsala in 1861, and from the theological department in 1863. He was ordained to the Lutheran ministry, Dec. 15, 1863; was assistant pastor at Karlstad. Sweden, 1863-64; pastor of a large mining district in Sweden, 1864—66, and pastor in eastern "Vermland, 1867- 69. He immigrated with a large number of liis parishioners to the United States in 1869, and settled in Smoky Hill Valley. McPhenson county, Kansas, where lie organized a colony and church of which he vvas i)astor, 1869-76. He was a representati%-e in the Kansas legislature, 1871- 72; professor of theology in the Augustana Theological seminary at Rock Island, 111., 1876- 88; pastor of the Swedish Lutheran churcli at WoodhuU, 111.. 1S90--91, and president of Augus- tana college. Rock Island, 1891-1900. He received the degree D.D. from Augustana college in 1892, and Pli.D. from the University of Upsala in 1893. He edited Ni/tt Och Gammalt at Linds- borg, Kan., 1873, and Luther-Knlriider at Rock Island, 111., 1883, and is the author of tlip following books: Greetings from Afar, being Rrcol lections

of Travels in England and Germany (1879); At the Cross (1886); The Christian Hope (1887), and To Rome and Home Again (\8\i^.) He died in Rock Island, III.. May 12, 1900.

O'MEARA, Stephen, editor and publisher, was born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, July 26, 1854; son of Stephen and Maria (Meade) O'Meara. In 1864 he came to the United States with his parents, who settled first in Braintree and then in Charlestown, Mass. He was grad- uated at the grammar and high schools of Charlestown. In 1872 he became the Charles- town reporter for the Boston Globe, and was a member of the regular staff, 1873-74. He was state house and shorthand reporter on the Boston Journal, 1874-79; city editor, 1879-81, news and managing editor, 1881-91. On the retirement of William W. Clapp in 1891, he became editor-in- chief and general manager; and publisher of the paper in 1896. He was married, Aug. 5, 1878, to Isabella M., daughter of Henry Squire of Charles- town, Mass. He was the first instructor in phonography in the Boston evening high school, 1880-84; president of the Boston Press club, 1886- 88; auditor, treasurer and a member of the ex- ecutive committee of the New England Associated Press, 1888-95, and secretary and treasurer of the Boston Daily Newspaper association, 1892-94. In 1896 he became connected with the Associated Press, serving at different times as a vice-president or the New England director. He was elected a trustee of the Massachusetts state library in 1890, and became a member of the Union, Exchange, St. Botolph and Algonquin clubs. He received the honorary degree A.M. from Dart- mouth college in 1888. In 1900 he delivered the annual Fourth of July oration before the city authorities of Boston.

ONDERDONK, Benjamin Tredwell, fourth bishop of New York and 24th in succession in the American episcopate, was born in New York city, July 15, 1791; son of John and Deboraix (Ustick) Ondordonk; grandson of Adrian and Maria (Hegaman) Onderdonk, and a descendant of Adrian Van der Donck, who emigrated from Breda, Holland, to New Castle, Del., in 1037, and removed to Flatbush, Long Island, N.Y., in 1072. He was graduated at Columbia college, A.B., 1809, A.M., 1816; was admitted to the diaconate by Bishop Hobart, Aug. 2, 1812, and was ordained priest at Newark, N.J., by the same bishop, July 25, 1816. He was assistant rector of Trinity church, New York city, 1813-36; professor of ec- clesiastical history. 1821-22, and of ecclesiastical polity and law, 1821-61, in the General Tiieological seminary. He succeeded the Rev. Dr. Lyell as secretary of the Diocesan convention, serving, 1816-30, and was elccteil bisliop of Nr'w York in October, 1830, to fill the vacancy caused by the