Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 04.djvu/85

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FERNALD


FERNOW


FERNALD, Merritt Caldwell, educator, was born in Levant, Maine, Jlay 2(5, 1S38; son of Robert and Roxana (Busuell) Fernald; giaadson of Dinion and Marger3- (Fernald) Fernald, and a descendant of Dr. Renald Fernald, who came from England and settled in Portsmouth, Nil., about 1630. He was gratluated from Bowdt)in in 1861 ; was principal of Gould's academy. Bethel, 1861-63; taught in other academies, 1863-64; pur- sued special studies iu chemistry and :uineralogy at Harvard, 186-1^65 ; was princijial of the Houl- ton (Maine) academy, 1865-66; principal of the Foxcroft (Maine) academj', 1866-68; professor of mathematics and physics in the Maine state col- lege, Orono, 1868-79, acting president, 1868-71, and president, 1879-93. In 1896 he became pro- fessor emeritus of philosophy in the Universitj' of Maine. He was married Aug. 24, 1865, to Mary Lovejoy Heywood of Bethel. Maine. The degree of Ph.D. was conferred upon him by Bow- doin in 18S1.

FERNOW, Bernard Eduard, forestrj' expert, was born in Inowraclaw, province of Posen, Prussia, Jan. 7, 1851 ; son of Edward and I.uise (Nordman) Fernow. He was graduated at the gymnasium at Bromberg ; entered the profession of forestry, following the regular prescribed courses for govern- ment service and also studying law at the Univer.sity of Koen- igsberg. He served his year in the army during the Franco- German war. 1870-71, and became lieuten- ant of the reserves. In 1876 he immi- grated to America and engaged in met- allurgical business and as a consulting forest engineer. He was married in 1879 to Olivia Reynolds of Brooklyn, N.Y. He served as secretary of the American forestry asso- ciation (formerly congi-ess), 1883-87, and from 1887 as chairman of its executive committee. He was made chief of the division of forestry of the department of agriculture at Washingtoc in March, 1886, and continued in that office for thir- teen years, when in 1898 he became director of the State college of forestry at Cornell univer- sity, the first institution of its kind in the United States. Ho was made an honorary LL.D. by the State university of Wisconsin in 1897. He was made a fellow of the American association for the advancement of science ; a life member of the


American in.stitute of mininsr engineers; an hon- orary curator of the National museum; an hon- orarj- member of tlie Scotch arboricultural association ; of the Academy of science of St. Petersburg; of the Penn.sylvania forestry asso- ciation, and an active member of various scien- tilic societies of the United States. He is the author of many official reports, bulletins and other publications of professional or propagandist cliaracter, establishing the science of forestry in the United States. He organized especially the most compreliensive investigations in timber- physics.

FERNOW, Berthold, historian, was born in Inowraclaw, Province of Posen, Nov. 28, 1837; son of Edward and Bertha (de Jachman) Fernow. His father was royal Pru.ssian privy councillor and his mother a sister of Vice-admiral de Jach- man. He studied at the Piedogagium of Our Lady, a royal Protes-


tant gymnasium at Magdeburg, Saxony, 1849-56, and at the gymnaseum, Brom- berg, 1856-58. He studied agriculture, 1858-60; was in the military service, 1860; emigrated to America in 1862 and enlisted in the 4th Missouri cavalry. He was promoted lieutenant in the 8d U.S.

colored troops and f^U^^^^ ^^ in the year 1864 served as topographical engineer on the staff of Gen. John P. Hatch in the operations against Charleston, S.C, and of Gen. Israel Vodges in Florida. After the war he joined the New York commandery of the military order of the Loyal Legion of the United States. He became a farmer in New Jersey and in 1875 was appointed by John Bigelow, secretary of state of New York, keeper of the Dutch colonial historical records at the State library, Albany, N.Y. His service to the state gained for him election to various liis- torical societies of the United States. He edited, compiled and translated Vols. XII., XIII., and XIV. of Dncnments relating to the Colonial History of Ne.vj York, T877-85; al.so Records of New Am- sterdam (.Vew York), 1632-1674 (1897); edited Vol. I. of the New York State Archives, Xew York iu the lierolntion (1887) ; wrote Albany and its place in the Ilistnrji of the United States (1887) ; The Ohio Valley in Colonial Days, and contributed histor- icjil, biographical and genealogical articles to various state and county histories and cyclo- pa-dias-


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