Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 04.djvu/90

This page needs to be proofread.

FESSENDEN


FESSENDEN


lege at De Veaux college school, Suspension Bridge, N.Y., and Trinity college school. Port Hope, Ontario, Canada. He matriculated at Bishop's college, Lennoxville, province of Que- bec, but was prevented from graduating by con- tinued ill health. He was mathematical master. Bishop's college school, 1881-84; principal of Wliitney institute, Bermuda, 1884-86: engineer, Edison machine company, New York, 1886; head chemist, Edison laboratory, 1887-90; electrician, Westinghouse company, Newark, N.J., 1891-92; professor of physics and electricity, Purdue uni- versity, 1893-93; and professor of electrical en- gineering. Western university of Pennsylvania, 1893-99. He was elected a member of the Amer- ican institute of electrical engineers in 1886; was a member of the institute's International committee on standards of light and illumina- tion, 1894; was secretary of the Engineers' society of western Pennsylvania, 1896-99; director of the Academy of science, Carnegie institute, Pitts- burg, Pa. , member of the British association for the advancement of science, and of the Ameri- can association for the advancement of science. He was married in 1890 to Helen May Trott, a descendant of one of the early governors of Ber- muda. He contributed to scientific journals, papers on cohesion, molecular physics and gen- eral pliysics and engineering (1885-99).

FESSENDEN, Samuel, lawyer, was born in Fryeburg. Maine, July 16, 1784; son of the Rev. "William (Harvard, 1768) and Sarah (Clement) Fessenden; grandson of William (Harvard, 1737) and Mary (Palmer) Fessenden; great-grandson of William and Martha (Wyeth) Fessenden, and gi eat -grandson of Nicholas and Mar- garet (Cheney) Fes- senden who emi- giated from Kent county, England,

about 1674, and set- tled in Cambridge, Mass. His father, William Fessenden. (A.M Harvard,1771), was tlie first minister at Frj'eburg, judge of probate, and rep- V- ^ resentative in the

(y^^^' ^LU^ '^/^^i^^^ state legislature of ' "^=^=r:3> — ■ Massachusetts, and

died in 1805. Samuel was graduated at Dart- mouth in 1806, was admitted to the bar in 1809, and practised at New Gloucester. He was mar- ried in 1813 to Deborah Chandler of New Glouces- ter. He was a member of the general court of Massachusetts, 1814-16, and a state senator, 1818- 19. He was major-general of the 12th division.


15^7W"^'


Massachusetts militia, 1819-33. He removed to Portland in 1822, and was an acknowledged leader in the state of the Federalist party, a representa- tive in the Maine legislature in 1825-26, and an early anti -slavery advocate. He declined to be considered for the presidency of Dartmouth in 1828, and was defeated as the candidate of the Liberal party for governor of Maine in 1847, and for representative in congress in 1848. Bowdoin gave him the degree of LL D in 1846 He died in Portland, Maine, March 13, 181)9.

FESSENDEN, Samuel Clement, representa- tive, was born in New Glouce.'iter, Maine, Slarch 7, 1815, son of Gen. .Samuel and Deborah (Chand- ler) Fessenden. He was graduated at Bowdoin in 1834 and at Bangor theological seminary in 1837. He was pastor of the 2d Congregational churcli, Rockland, Maine, 1837-56, editor and pro- prietor of the Maine EvatiyeUst, 1856-58, and was admitted to the bar in 1858. He was judge of the municiijal court of Rockland and a representative in the 37th congress, 1861-63. He was on the board of examiners of the U.S. jiatent office, 1865-79, and U.S. consul to St. John, New Bruns- wick, Canada, 1879-81. His son Joshua Abbe, born Feb. 15, 1841, was appointed sergeant, 1st Maine cavalry in September, 1861; 2d lieutenant, U.S. cavalry in March, 1862; 2d lieutenant, 5th U.S. artillery Sept. 6, 1862 ; was brevetted 1st lieuten- ant for gallant services at Stone's River, Dec. 3, 1862, and captain for gallant services at Chicka- mauga, Sept. 20, 1863 ; was i^romoted captain, 5th U.S. artillery June 26, 1882, and retired in 1896. Another son, Samuel, born A])ril 12, 1847, was 2d lieutenant, 5th Maine battery in 1864, 1st lieuten- ant, 7tli Maine battery in 1885 ; became a distin- guished lawyer at Stamford, Conn., and a leader of the ReiJublican party in that state, and was for many years a member of the Republican na- tional committee. Samuel C. Fessenden died in Stamford, Conn.. April IS. 1882.

FESSENDEN, Thomas Amory Deblois, rep- resentative, was born in Portland, Maine, Jan. 23, 1826; son of Gen. Samuel and Deborali (Chand- ler) Fessenden. He was graduated at Bowdoin in 1845, and became a leading lawyer at Lewis- ton, Maine. He was a delegate to the Republican national convention of 1856; an aide on the .staff of Governor Morrill in 1858 ; a representative in the Maine legislature, 1860, and county attorney. He was elected a representative from the Auburn district to the 37th congress to fill the unexpired term of Representative Charles W. Walton, and served through the third session of that congress, when he was succeeded by James G. Blaine. He died in Lewiston, Maine, Sept. 28, 1868.

FESSENDEN.Thomas Green, author, was born at Walpole, N.H., April 22, 1771 ; son of the Rev. Thomas Fessenden. His father (1739-1813) was