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Note: [Mark Bird Line 9-2005.FTW] [1a jm3490.FTW] Nathan Sidney Smith Beman, D.D., the fourth president of the Institute, was born in tha t part of Canaan, N.Y., which is now called New Lebanon, on November 26th, 1785. He was a so n of Samuel and Silence (Douglass) Beman, his paternal ancestors being of German and his mate rnal ancestors of Scotch origin. When he was four or five years of age his parents removed t o Hampton, Washington Co., N.Y., then called Greenfield. Nathan commenced his preparation for college, in company with the late Hon. Rolin C. Mall ory, at Poultney, VT., in 1801, with Mr. Bolles, an eminent teacher, a graduate of the Univer sity of Dublin. In 1802 he went under the tuition of a private instructor at Williamstown, Ma ss, then at the grammar school in that place. He entered Williams College in 1803, but the fo llowing year took a dismission, and spent the following year in teaching at Fairhaven, Vt. I n the summer of 1804 he entered Middlebury College, graduating in the class of 1807. His clas smates were Ira Bascom, D.A.A. Buck, Miles Purdy, Stephen Royce, William Slade and Oliver Ste wart. Four of this class, including Dr. Beman, became distinguished men, and perhaps in no on e class of the college have so many attained eminence as the class of 1807. Mr. Buck was lon g a member of Congress; Mr. Royce was Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and Governor of Verm ont, and Mr. Slade was a member of Congress and also Governor. After graduating he became preceptor, in the autumn of 1807, of Lincoln Academy at Newcas tle, Maine, where he remained more than two years, at the same time pursuing the study of the ology with Rev. Kiah Bailey. He was licensed to preach June 14, 1809, by the Lincoln and Kenn ebec Association. About the same time he was appointed tutor at Middle bury and entered upo n the duties of this appointment; but receiving an earnest call from the Third Presbyterian C hurch in Portland, Me., to which he had preached a few times, he resigned the tutorship and w as ordained pastor of that church March 14, 1810. Rev. Kiah Bailey preached the sermon. His h ealth failed in a year or two, with decided symptoms of consumption, and in October, 1812, h e was dismissed. He immediately went south and took up his residence in Hancock Co., Georg ia, at a place afterward called Mount Zion, where he organized a Presbyterian Church and esta blished an academy. Under his superintendence, which continued about ten years, the academy a cquired a high reputation and attracted a large number of students. In 1818 he was elected President of Franklin College, at Athens, Georgia He accepted the offi ce, but held it for only one year, and then returned to his academy at Mount Zion. Coming nor th in the summer of 1822, he preached on the first Sunday in September in the First Presbyter ian Church in Troy, N.Y., and by invitation of the officers continued to supply the pulpit un til the following November, when he was called to the pastorate. He accepted the call, and wa s installed June 14, 1823. Rev. Nathaniel S. Prime preached the sermon. In this pastorate h e continued just forty years, during which time he received into the church 1,840 members, o f which twenty-six became clergymen. He was dismissed June 17, 1863, at his own request, an d the church voted him a life annuity of $1,000. In 1824, he was elected a trustee of Middlebury College, and continued so until his deat h - having been a member eighteen months longer than any of his associates. In 1846 he was el ected President of the college, but declined the office. He received the degree of doctor o f divinity, from Williams College in 1824, and of doctor of laws from Middlebury College in 1 852. Dr. Beman was one of the Vice Presidents of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute from 18 42 to 1845, and was the President from the latter year to 1865. During these twenty-three yea rs he was also a member of the board of trustees. Brought thus in connection with many youn g man, at a formative period of their lives, he never neglected any proper opportunity to imp ress upon them the duty that they owed to themselves, to their parents or guardians, and to s ociety at large, to increase in wisdom and knowledge, and to show by a studious and honorabl e deportment, a full appreciation of the privileges to which they were admitted. He died at Carbondale, Ill., August 6, 1871, at the advanced age of eighty-six years. Nason, Henry B., ed. Biographical Record of the Officers and Graduates of the Rensselaer Pol ytechnic Institute, 1824-1886. Troy, NY: William H. Young, 1887, pp. 30-33. Notes from clippings: Beman left Georgia, went North summer of 1822 to Troy, NY. Accepted call and installed Jun e 17, 1823. Dismissed by his request June 17, 1863. Beman Park in Troy, NY.[Copy of Bird Hulings Original6-2004 hunsi2.FTW] Nathan Sidney Smith Beman, D.D., the fourth president of the Institute, was born in tha t part of Canaan, N.Y., which is now called New Lebanon, on November 26th, 1785. He was a so n of Samuel and Silence (Douglass) Beman, his paternal ancestors being of German and his mate rnal ancestors of Scotch origin. When he was four or five years of age his parents removed t o Hampton, Washington Co., N.Y., then called Greenfield. Nathan commenced his preparation for college, in company with the late Hon. Rolin C. Mall ory, at Poultney, VT., in 1801, with Mr. Bolles, an eminent teacher, a graduate of the Univer sity of Dublin. In 1802 he went under the tuition of a private instructor at Williamstown, Ma ss, then at the grammar school in that place. He entered Williams College in 1803, but the fo llowing year took a dismission, and spent the following year in teaching at Fairhaven, Vt. I n the summer of 1804 he entered Middlebury College, graduating in the class of 1807. His clas smates were Ira Bascom, D.A.A. Buck, Miles Purdy, Stephen Royce, William Slade and Oliver Ste wart. Four of this class, including Dr. Beman, became distinguished men, and perhaps in no on e class of the college have so many attained eminence as the class of 1807. Mr. Buck was lon g a member of Congress; Mr. Royce was Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and Governor of Verm ont, and Mr. Slade was a member of Congress and also Governor. After graduating he became preceptor, in the autumn of 1807, of Lincoln Academy at Newcas tle, Maine, where he remained more than two years, at the same time pursuing the study of the ology with Rev. Kiah Bailey. He was licensed to preach June 14, 1809, by the Lincoln and Kenn ebec Association. About the same time he was appointed tutor at Middle bury and entered upo n the duties of this appointment; but receiving an earnest call from the Third Presbyterian C hurch in Portland, Me., to which he had preached a few times, he resigned the tutorship and w as ordained pastor of that church March 14, 1810. Rev. Kiah Bailey preached the sermon. His h ealth failed in a year or two, with decided symptoms of consumption, and in October, 1812, h e was dismissed. He immediately went south and took up his residence in Hancock Co., Georg ia, at a place afterward called Mount Zion, where he organized a Presbyterian Church and esta blished an academy. Under his superintendence, which continued about ten years, the academy a cquired a high reputation and attracted a large number of students. In 1818 he was elected President of Franklin College, at Athens, Georgia He accepted the offi ce, but held it for only one year, and then returned to his academy at Mount Zion. Coming nor th in the summer of 1822, he preached on the first Sunday in September in the First Presbyter ian Church in Troy, N.Y., and by invitation of the officers continued to supply the pulpit un til the following November, when he was called to the pastorate. He accepted the call, and wa s installed June 14, 1823. Rev. Nathaniel S. Prime preached the sermon. In this pastorate h e continued just forty years, during which time he received into the church 1,840 members, o f which twenty-six became clergymen. He was dismissed June 17, 1863, at his own request, an d the church voted him a life annuity of $1,000. In 1824, he was elected a trustee of Middlebury College, and continued so until his deat h - having been a member eighteen months longer than any of his associates. In 1846 he was el ected President of the college, but declined the office. He received the degree of doctor o f divinity, from Williams College in 1824, and of doctor of laws from Middlebury College in 1 852. Dr. Beman was one of the Vice Presidents of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute from 18 42 to 1845, and was the President from the latter year to 1865. During these twenty-three yea rs he was also a member of the board of trustees. Brought thus in connection with many youn g man, at a formative period of their lives, he never neglected any proper opportunity to imp ress upon them the duty that they owed to themselves, to their parents or guardians, and to s ociety at large, to increase in wisdom and knowledge, and to show by a studious and honorabl e deportment, a full appreciation of the privileges to which they were admitted. He died at Carbondale, Ill., August 6, 1871, at the advanced age of eighty-six years. Nason, Henry B., ed. Biographical Record of the Officers and Graduates of the Rensselaer Pol ytechnic Institute, 1824-1886. Troy, NY: William H. Young, 1887, pp. 30-33.
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