Edwin Atson STRONG
Biography

Professor Edwin A. Strong

"In preparing this sketch we avail ourselves of material placed by Professor Strong in the hands of a friend for use on a similar occasion."

"Edwin Atson Strong"

MICHIGAN STATE NORMAL SCHOOL

"He says: "I was born in Otisco, Onondaga Co., N. Y., January 3, 1834. During boyhood I worked on a farm in summer and attended a district school, nearly two miles distant, during the winter, making extended visits also, one of a year in length, to my grandparents in Southampton, Mass. The people of Otisco were almost exclusively of New England origin and were filled with the old puritan zeal for religion, education and high politics. R turned missionaries and long-haired reformers abounded and always secured a respectful hearing. My father was an old-line abolitionist and I often accompanied him to the numerous conventions of that party, so that the faces and earnest eloquence of Parker, Phillips, Douglass, Garrison, George Thompson, and others, early became familiar to me. I was present as a distant spectator at the rescue of Jerry, the fugitive slave, and was familiar with the operations of the Underground Railroad."

"Between the years 1849 and 1855 I carried forward in a desultory way preparation for college at Cortland Academy, the main influences while here being the excellent lecture courses, constant familiarity with the works then appearing of Emerson, Carlyle, Rusk in and Browning, and association with two members of the faculty, Mr. Sanford, afterward Professor of Latin in Syracuse University, and Mr. C. D. Lawrence, author of a once popular course of mathematics. By Mr. Lawrence I was introduced to the French mathematical writers and to Descriptive and Analytical Geometry, the Calculus and advanced Physics. Our text-book in the last subject was the first two-volume edition of Young's Natural Philosophy, now so rare, a book which produced a profound impression upon me and to some extent fixed my life work. I never knew a better teacher than Mr. Lawrence."

"During this course of preparation I taught a district school one winter, a private school one winter, and gave one year to the duties of instructor in Onondaga Valley Academy, teaching Cicero, Vergil, Trigonometry, Conies, fndthe Calculus. This work had been brought up to a high degree of excellence by J. D. Runkle, afterwaids of the Mass. Institute of Technology, an account of whose zeal and knowledge were a great inspiration to me. Rev. Samuel T. May, a man of national reputation, was President of the Board of Trustees and influenced me greatly in many ways."

"I attended Union College between the years 1855 and 1858, taking the A. B. degree the latter year and A. M. in 1862. I was drawn to Union College by the fame of Dr. Nott, the venerable President and Dr. Hickok, the psychologist, but my favorite professors were Dr. Taylor Lewis, the famous Greek and Oriental scholar, and Prof. Gillespie, in mathematics and engineering, both inspiring men and masters of an unusually pure and strong English.""

"Professor Strong left college for Grand Rapids, Mich., where he was Principal of the High school from 1858 to 1862 ; Superintendent from 1862 to 1871; and again Principal of the High School from 1873 to 1885. The break from 1871 to 1873 was occasioned by his taking up the work of the science department at the State Normal School, Oswego, N. Y. While in Grand Rapids his work outside of school was mainly on behalf of the Kent Scientific Institute, of whose collection he was for many years curator, and in connection with the Sanitary Science Association of that city."

"Prof. Strong commenced his work in the Normal School in the autumn of 1885, and since that time has had charge of the department of physics and chemistry, which under his direction has attained a high degree of excellence."

"He was married August 8, 1861, to Harriet Jane Pomeroy, of Auburn, N. Y., who died December 19, 1888."

"He has held no official position except as member of the State Board of Health for a brief term by appointment of Gov. Croswell."

"Prof. Strong is a man of rare poetic genius, a humanitarian in the highest and best sense of the term, although his department of work is in the realm of science. He is a charming companion in the social circle, and the impress which he leaves upon his associates is always calculated to raise them up to a higher and purer life. The students who have received the instruction given in his classes go out into the world better men and women, and with a profound conviction of the inestimable worth of a true and exalted moral and religious life, such as they have seen exemplified in the "daily walk and conversation" of Professor Strong. Any institution of learning is fortunate in having in its band of teachers men of his character and manner of living."

From www.archive.org/
stream/ historyofmichiga00putniala/
historyofmichiga00putniala_djvu.txt




Learn more about the life of     Edwin Atson STRONG.

Visit Otisco, New York, USA
Discover the people who lived there, the places they visited and the stories they shared.