The New Student's Reference Work/Low, Seth

SETH LOW

Low, Seth, LL.D., ex-president of Columbia University, was born at Brooklyn, N. Y., Jan. 18, 1850. After graduating at Columbia in 1870 he began the study of law, but left it to enter his father's tea-importing house and become a member of the firm. In 1881 he was elected mayor of Brooklyn on an independent ticket, and administered its affairs for four years. In 1890 he became president of Columbia College and reorganized the institution on a university basis. He, moreover, presented it with its finely equipped library-building at a cost of a million dollars. Dr. Low has taken a lively interest in pure government for New York, being a member of its rapid-transit and Greater-New-York commissions. In 1899 he was appointed one of the American delegation to the peace-conference at The Hague. He also is president of the Archaeological Institution of America and vice-president of the New York Academy of Sciences. In 1901 he resigned the presidency of Columbia University, and was elected mayor of New York, defeating the Tammany candidate. While mayor of New York City (1901-03), Mr. Low did much to purge the civic administration from abuses.