Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 10.djvu/354

 WATSON

AVATTERSON

second son. James Thornton Watson was serving as 1st lieutenant and battalion adjutant of the 2tjth infantry, Plii)ii)pine Islands, in 1U03. Kear- Adiniral Watson is the author of: The Lashing of Admiral Farragut in the Rigging in " Battles and L.'aders uf the Civil War" (Vol. IV., 1888).

WATSON, Thomas Edward, vice-presidential candidatt'. was born in Culiinibia county, Ga., Sept. 5. 1856; son of John S. and Ann Eliza (Maddox) Watson: grandson of Thomas M. and .Mary (Smith) Watson, and a descendant of Thomas Watson. Revolutionary patriot, legislator and soldier: and Joseph Maddox. Quaker, founder of Wrightsboro. Ga. He attended Mercer col- lege: taught school, and was admitted to the bar in 1875. He was married. Oct. 15. 1878, to Georgia, daughter of George "\V. and Martha (Hentlon) Durham of Oconee county, Ga. He was a representative in the Georgia legislature, 188'2-83; a Democratic elector at large for Georgia in 1888, a Populist representative in the 52d congress, 1891-93, was defeated for re-election in 1892 and 1894, and resumed his law practice at Thompson. Ga.. in 1895. He was the author of the resolution upon which congress in February, 1893. made the first appropriation for the rural free delivery of mails. He was called to account in tiie liouse of representatives because of the chargas of drunkenness against representatives in the U.S. congress made in a book which he pub- lished for the use of Populist speakers in 1892. He was nominated for Vice-President of the United States at the St. Louis Populist conven- tion which endorsed William J. Bryan for Presi- dent in 1896 and of the electoral votes cast he re- ceived 11 of the 176 received by Bryan, and of the popular votes. 222.267 of the 6,511.072. He publisiied a Populist newspaper at Atlanta, and is tiie author of: The Story of France (1898); Life of Thomas Jefferson (1900); Life of Napoleon Bonaparte (1902).

WATSON, William, scientist, was born in Nan- tucket. Mass.. Jan. 19, 183-1; son of William and Mary (.Macy) Watson, and a descendant of Thomas Macy, the hero of Whittier's poem " Tiie Exiles." He attended the Coffin .scliool. Nan- tucket, and the State Normal school. Bridge- water; taught for two years, and was graduated from the Lawrence Scientific school. Harvard, B.S., 1857. receiving the first Boyden prize in mathematics. He was instructor in differential and integral calculus at the Lawrence Scientific school; tfH.k a second degree of B.S. there in 1858; and decli?ied the professorship of mathe- matics at Aiitioch college, Ohio. In 1859 he went abroad, and after taking a partial course at the fecole Nationale des Pontset Chaussees. Paris, he entered tite University of Jena, where he re- ceived the Ph.D. degree in 1862. He investigated

the foreign system of technical education, which formed the basis of tiie scheme of organization of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1864. He was universitj' lecturer at Harvard. 1863-64; and professor of mechanical engineering and descriptive geometry at the Institute. 1865- 73. He was married in 1873, to Margaret, daugh- ter of Augustus H. Fiske of Boston. He was U.S. commissioner to the Vienna exposition in 1873; a member of the international jurj- of the Paris exposition in 1878: lionorary presi- dent of the Paris Congress of Architects in 1878, and of the engineering section of the French Association for the Advancement of Science in 1878, 1881, 1883 and 1889. He was made secretary of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1884; a member of French National Academy of Clierbourg, the French So- ciety of Civil Engineers, the American Society of Civil Engineers and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. In 1893 he organized the International Congress of Waterways at Chicago, serving as its secretary. He is the author of: Technical Education (1873); A Course in Descrip- tive Geometry (1873); On the Protection of Life from Casualtiesin the Use of Machinery (1880): A Course in Shades awl Shadows (18X9): reports on the Civil Engineering, Architecture and Pub- lic Works at the Vienna Exhibition (1873), and the Paris Exposition of 1889, and U.S. Govern- ment reports for 1875 and 1891.

WATSON, William Tharp, governor of Del- aware, was born in Milfunl. Del., June 22, 1849: son of Bethuel and Ruth (Tliarp) Watson, and grandson of Gov. William Tiiarp (q.v.). His father was a member of the general assembly of Delaware. He attended the common schools and Washington college, Chestertown. Md.; was in Philadeipliia, Pa., and later returned to Milford. Del. He was elected to the Delaware legislature in 1884, but his eligibilitj- being ques- tioned because of absence from the state, he de- clined to take his seat; was a state senator. 1892- 95. serving as speaker in 1894, and upon the death of Gov. Joshua H. Marvil (q.v.) in April, 1895, succeeded him as governor of Delaware, serving, 1895-97.

WATTERSON, Harvey Magee, representative, was born in Beech Grove. Tenn., Nov. 23, 1811; sou of William S. (a soldier in the war of 1812), and Nancy (Bates) Watterson. He attended Cumberland college, Princeton, Ky., 1827-31; was admitted to the bar in Shelby ville. Tenn., 1833, where he began practice, and founded in 1831 the Drnwcrat. which he edited until 1S38. He was married, June 5. 1832. to Tabitha. daugh- ter of James and Mary (Morrison) Black of Maurj' county. Tenn., who died in 1884. He was JV member of the state legislature, 183.5-39; a