Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 09.djvu/217

 RUTHERFURD

RUTLEDGE

Lipscomb (q.v.) and Mildred Rutherford (q.v.) were prominent educators. Professor Rutherford is the author of: Church Members' Guide for Baptist Churches; Family Government, in manu- script, and many articles for church papers. He died at Athens, Ga., Aug. 21, 1896.

RUTHERFURD, John, senator, was born in New York city, Sept. 20. 1760; son of Walter and Catherine (Alexander) Rutherfurd, and grandson of James Alexander of Perth Amboy, N.J., and of Sir John Rutherfurd of Edgerston, Roxburgh- shire, Scotland, who came to America in 1756. His father, an English soldier, took part in the Canadian campaign under Sir Jeffrey Amherst, and settled in New York city. John was gradu- ated from the College of New Jersey, A.B., 1776, A.M., 1779, and practised law in New York city until 1787. He was married in October, 1782, to Helena, daughter of Lewis Morris, 3d, of West- chester, N.Y.; she died at Edgerston, N.J., Oct. 6, 1840. He was clerk of the vestry of Trinity church, and in 1787 I'emoved to Tranquility, Sus- sex county, N.J. He was a representative in the state legislature; presidential elector from the second congressional district in 1788, and was elected to the U.S. senate in 1791, serving till 1798, when he i-esigned. He was a commissioner with Simeon DeWitt and Gouverneur Morris to lay out the city of New York from 1801. He was president of the board of proprietors of eastern New Jersey; a member of the New York and New Jersey boundary commission in 1826, and of the joint commission to settle the boundary ques- tion between New York and New Jersey and Pennsylvania, 1829-33. He died at Edgerston, now Rutherfurd, N.J., Feb. 23. 1840.

RUTHERFURD, Lewis Morris, physicist, was born in Morrisania, N.Y., Nov. 25, 1816; son of Robert Walter and Sabina (Morris) Rutherfurd; grandson of John and Helena (Morris) Ruther- furd, and of Lewis and Ann (Elliott) Morris, and a descendant of Maj. Walter Rutherford of the British army, who changed the name to Ruther- furd, and was married to Catharine, daughter of James Alexander, and sister of Gen. William Alexander of the Patriot army. He was gradu- ated from Williams college in 1834; was admitted to the bar in 1837, and became a partner of Peter A. Jay, and in 1843 of Hamilton Fish. He retired from active practice in 1849 and devoted himself to scientifiG study. He made a specialty of as- stronomical photography, and published a paper in the American Journal of Science on the spec- tra of stars, moon and planets, which was the first attempt at a spectral classification of the stars. He invented the star spectroscope, and in 1864 constructed a corrected object glass for mak- ing negatives of the heavenly bodies, and he im- proved the lens in 1868. He also constructed an

instrument for the measurement of astronomical photographs. In 1870 he invented an engine that ruled 17,000 lines to the inch on a metallic sheet, this being the best one produced until the inven- tion of Henry Augustus Rowland (q.v.) about ten years later. By means of the plates thus ruled he made a photograph of the solar spectrum. He was one of the American delegates to the International Meridian conference, held in Wash- ington in October, 1885, and framed the resolu- tion expressing the conclusions of the conference. He was appointed the representative of the Na- tional Academy of Sciences to the International Meridian Conference on Astronomical Photo- graphy in 1887, but failing health caused him to decline the honor. He was married to Margaret Stuy vesant Chanler. He was a trustee of Colum- bia college, 1858-84, and presented that institu- tion with his astronomical instruments, valued at $12,000, in December, 1883, and with all his nega- tives, with funds for their measurements, in No- vember, 1890. "The Rutherfurd Photographic Measures of the Group of the Pleiades " was pub- lished before the time of his death. He was one of the founders of the Academy of Science in

1863; an associate of the Royal Astronomical society; a member of the American Astronomi- cal society, and a fellow of the Royal society of London. The honorary degree of LL.D. was con- ferred on him by Columbia in 1887 and by Wil- liams in 1889. He died in Tranquility, Sussex county, N.J., May 3, 1892.

RUTHRAUFF, John Mosheim, educator, was born in Stark county, Ohio, Jan. 13, 1840. He served in the U.S. army one hundred days in

1864; was graduated at Wittenberg college, Ohio, A.B., 1871, A.M., 1874, D.D., 1900; was pastor of Lutheran churches at Louisville, Ky., 1872-74; Circleville, Ohio, 1874-76 and 1880-85; Washing- tonville, Ohio, 1870-80, and Dixon, Oliio, 1885-95; president and professor of history and philosophy, Carthage college. 111., 1895-1901, and served as president and professor of theism and ethics, Wit- tenberg college, 1901-02, succeeding the Rev. Dr, Samuel A. Ort (q.v.) resigned. He was married, May 28, 1879, to Sarah E., daughter of John and Mary A. Morrison. He was president of the synod, both in Ohio and Illinois; president of Rock assembly, 111., 1888-95, and five times delegate to the general synod. He died suddenly at his home in Springfield, Ohio, May 6, 1902.

RUTLEDGE, Edward, statesman, was born in Charleston, S.C, Nov, 23, 1749; son of Dr. John Rutledge. He studied law at Temple bar, Lon- don, 1769-73, and established himself in practice in Charleston. He was married in 1773 to Har- riet, daughter of Henry Middleton. He was a delegate to the Continental congress, 1774-77; a signer of the Declaration of Independence; a