Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 09.djvu/457

 SOMERS

SORIN

SOMERS, Richard, naval officer, was born at Somers Point, Great Egg harbor. Cape May county, N. J., in 1T78 ; son of Colonel Somers of the state militia, and judge of the county court. His grandfather emigrated from England about 1730 ^nd settled at Somers Point. Richard entered the U.S. navy as midshipman in 1798, was assigned on the frigate United States under Commodore Barry during the difficulties with France ; was promoted lieutenant, June 2, 1799 ; continued on the United States, and was transferred to the sloop Boston, Captain McNiel. He commanded the schooner Nautilus, of Commodore Preble's Mediterranean squadron during the war with Tripoli ; commanded the division of gun-boats during both the attacks on Tripoli ; was promoted commander, Feb. 16, 1804, and proposed the de- struction of the Tripolitan fleet by means of a fireship exploded in their midst. The ketch In- trepid was fitted out with 100 barrels of powder and 200 loaded shells, arranged with a slow- match, and Somers, with two officers and ten men, volunteered for tlie duty of exploding the ship. The Intrepid in tow of the brig Siren, approached the inner harbor of Tripoli, where she was sighted by the enemy who opened fire upon her. When within 500 yards of the fleet she suddenly blew up before the crew could escape. No damage was done to the enemy, and the cause of the premature explosion was never ascertained. He died near Tripoli, Africa, Sept. 4, 1804.

SOMERVILLE, Henderson Middleton, jurist, was born in Madison county, Va., March 23, 1837 ; son of Dr. James and Helen Glassell (Wallace) Somerville ; grandson of James and Mary (Atwell) Somerville and of Michael and Mary (Kelton) Wallace, and a descendant of Dr. Michael Wal- lace, who came from Scotland in 1734 and settled in King George county, Va., at " Elderslie," the ancient seat of the Wallace family. Three of his sons were officers in the American army during the Revolution. Henderson TVI. Somerville was graduated from the University of Alabama, A.B., 1856, A.M., 1859 ; and from the Cumberland (Tenn.) Law school in 1859. He was editor of the Memphis Appeal, 1859-62 ; assistant professor of mathematics and languages at the University of Alabama, 1862-65 ; a member of the state Demo- cratic executive committee. 1872-80 ; founded the law school of the University of Alabama in 1873 ; was a lecturer on constitutional, common and statute law at the University of Alabama, 1873-90 ; a trustee of the state insane hospital ; a member of the State commission of lunacy, 1876-93 ; and was associate-justice of the state supreme court, 1880-90. He was twice married, first in March, 1862, to Cornelia Banks, daughter of Richard and Amanda (Banks) Harris, of Tus- caloosa, Ala. ; and secondly, in August, 1881, to

Mrs. Mary (Wyman) Saville, daughter of Justus and Mary (Stokes) Wyman of Montgomery, Ala. He was appointed chairman of the national board of customs appraisers in 1890 ; was a member of the Alabama Historical society and president of the New York Medico-legal society, 1892-93. He was elected a member of the Board of Trustees of the Peabody Education Fund in 1890, and also of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. The honorary degree of LL.D. was con- ferred upon him by Georgetown college, Ky., in 1886 ; by the University of Alabama in 1887, and by the Southwestern university, Tenn., in 1887.

SOMMERVILLE, Maxwell, glyptologist, was born in Philadelphia, Pa., May 1, 1829. He attended the Central High school, Philadelphia, and accumulated a fortune in the publishing business. He devoted himself to the study of gem archaeology and gathered and arranged one of the most celebrated collections of gems in the world which he exhibited in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York city, and later in the archaeological museum. University of Pennsyl- vania. He established the Indian Hindoo museum and the Buddhist temple in the museum, and was appointed professor of glyptology at ^the Univer- sity of Pennsylvania in 1894. He is the author of : Engraved Gems ; Siam on the Meinain from the Gulf to Ayuthia ; Sands of Sahara (1901) ; and several monographs, including the Triumph of Constantine (1896) ; Jupiter ^giochus (1898) ; Grand Cameo of France (1900) ; Buddhist Tem- ple (1900).

SORIN, Edward, educationist, was born in Ahuille, near Laval, France, Feb. 6, 1814. He was graduated from the University of Paris, studied theology at the Seminary of LeMans and was ordained to the Roman Catholic priesthood, June 9, 1838. He entered the order of the Holy Cross in 1839, declined the appointment of Bishop of Bengal and came to the United States in 1842, engaging in missionary work among the Indians of Indiana. He received orders from his superior to establish schools in the west, and removed to Notre Dame, Ind., Nov. 24, 1842, where he began the organization of a school. He found a dilap- idated log cabin which he fitted up as a chapel and dwelling, and with the help of six brothers he began to build a college. In 1844 the college was given a charter as the University of Notre Dame and became the largest Roman Catliolic educa- tional institution in the United States. On April 23, 1879, five of the college buildings were de- stroyed by fire but were soon rebuilt on a larger plan than before. He was appointed superior- general of the Congregation of the Holy Cross in the United States in 1857 and was superior-gen- eral, 1868-93. In 1888 his golden jubilee was cele- brated. He died in Notre Dame, Oct. 31, 1893.