Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 10.djvu/194

 TOTTEN

TOULMIN

several scientific societies. He received the de- gree of A.M. from Brown in lS'2d. He trans- lated Treussart's " Essays on Hydraulic and Common Mortars" (1842), and published a Report on yntioiuil Defences (1851). and a Rejiort on Firing with Heavy Ordnance (1857). At the time of his death, the secretary of war issued a general order, reviewing his life and praising his good qualities, and ordering the officers of the corps of engineers and the officers and cadets of the U.S. Military academy to wear tiie badge of mourning for tliirty days, the firing of half-hour guns at the Military academy and the displaying of the flag at half-mast. He died in "Washing- ton. B.C.. April 32. 1864.

TOTTEN, Silas, educator, was born in Scho- harie county, N.Y., March 26, 1804. of New England ancestry. He was graduated from Union college in 1830 ; was tutor in mathemat- ics at Union, 1831-33 ; appointed professor of mathematics and natural piiilosophy in "Wash- ington (Trinity) college in April, 1833, and was married. Aug. 24, to Mary Isham. Having stud- ied theology under Professor Alonzo Potter (afterward bishop of Pennsylvania) he was or- dered deacon in St. Paul's church, "Wallingford, Conn.. 1833. by Bishop Brownell, by whom he was also advanced to the priesthood in June, 18^36. He was president of Washington college, and Hobart professor of belles lettres and ora- tory. May 4. 1837, to Aug. 3, 1848. "While he re- mained in office the name of the college was changed to Trinity ; Brownell hall was added ; the House of Convocation, a graduate organiza- tion, was established, and also the Phi Beta Kappa society, of which he served as first presi- dent. He was professor of rhetoric and mental philosophy in the College of "William and Marj-, Va., 1849-59 ; was a rector of Trinity parish, Iowa City, Iowa, Nov. 12, 1859-July 1, 1860, on which latter date he entered upon his duties as president of the University of Iowa, which posi- tion he resigned, Aug. 23, 1862. During the winter, 1862-63, he was engaged in raising funds to discharge the indebtedness of Griswold college, Iowa. In 1863 he became rector of St. John's church, Decatur, 111., where he estab- lished a school for young ladies, and in 1866 re- moved to Lexington, Ky., where, with his three daughters, he founded Christ Church .semi- nary. In addition to his educational duties he was also missionary at large for the diocese of Kentucky. He received the honorary degree of D.D. from Union college, 1838, and LL.D. from William and Mary, 1860. Doctor Totten pub- lished : ,4 Xew Introduction to the Science of Al- gebra {\fm) ; The Analogy of Truth (1848), and also A Letter about Jubilee College. He died in Lexington, Ky., Oct. 7, 1873.

TOUCEY, Isaac, cabinet officer, was born in Newtown. Conn., Nov. 5, 1796. His ancestor, the Rev. TlioinasToucey, was the first Congregational minister in Newtown, and the family in the gen- erations following were liberally educated and held jirominent positions in the section. Isaac studied law in Newtown with Judge Chapman ; was admitted to the bar in 1818 and ])ractised in Hartford. He became a Democratic political leader and was state attornej' for the county. 1821-25 ; a representative from the first Connecti- cut district in the 24th and 25th congresses. 1825- 39, was defeated in 1838 by Joseph Trumbull, Whig ; served as state attorney for Hartford countj", 1842-44 ; ran against Roger S. Baldwin for governor, in 1845, and was defeated again in 1846, by popular vote, but was elected by the legislature ; was defeated in 1847 by Clark Bissell. and in 1848 was appointed to the cabinet of President Polk as attorney-general, to succeed Nathan Clifford of Maine, sent as U.S. commis- sioner to Mexico, and held the position from June 21, 1848, until the close of Polk's administration, March 3, 1849. He was a member of the state senate, 1850. and a representative in the state legislature, 1852. He was elected U.S. senator as successor to Roger S. Baldwin and took his seat May 14, 1852, completing the term March 3, 1857. He was secretary of the navy in President Buchanan's cabinet for the full term of Bu- chanan's administration expiring March 3. 1861. His official conduct as secretar}- of the navy dur- ing the trying times incident to the outbreak of tiie civil war has been severely criticised by the Republican party, but api)ears to have been governed entirely by his judgment as to his constitutional line of duty, and the policy of the administration of which he was a member. He was a trustee of Trinity college, Hartford, 1830- 1869, and received from that institution the hon- orary degree of LL.D. in 1846. He also estab- lished two scholarships, and left to the college a large share of his estate. He died in Hartford, Conn., July 30. 1869.

TOULMIN, Henry, jurist, was born in Taun- ton, England, in 1767 ; son of Dr. Joshua Toul- min (1740-1815), an Independent clergj'man at Colyton, Devonshire ; Baptist clergyman. Taun- ton, England, 1765-1804, honorary A.M., Brown, 1769; D.D., Harvard, 1794, and a Unitarian cler- gyman, Birmingham, England, 1804-15. Henry Toulmin was a dissenting minister at Chorobert, Lancashire, until 1793, when he came to the United States, and settled as a Baptist clergy- man at Norfolk, Va., and became president of Transylvania seminary, Lexington, Ky., June 30, 1794. He was, however, suspected of Unitar- ian sentiments and also, because of his friend- ship with Thomas Jefferson, supposed to be