Person:Albert Whitford (3)

Note: Admitted 1868, Alfred, New York.

Deacon of the Milton, Wisconsin Seventh-day Baptist Church 1887-1923.

President of Milton College for two years, 1878-80

Rock Co. Death Cert. bd as 29 May 1832

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Commemorative biographical record of the counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette, Wisconsin: containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, and of many of the early settled families. (Chicago [Illinois]: J.H. Beers, 1901)
   54-55.

   ALBERT WHITFORD, M.A., Professor of Mathematics in Milton College, is one of the oldest and best-known educators of southern Wisconsin. He has engaged in teaching for considerably more than a half century, giving the profession the devotion of his early years.
   Prof. Whitford was born at Plainfield, near Leonardsville, N.Y., May 28, 1832, son of Samuel and Sophia (Clarke) Whitford. The father, a farmer by occupation, was born in Brookfield, N.Y., in 1797, and was a son of David Whitford, a native of Stonington, Conn. of English ancestry, and a farmer. Samuel married Sophia, daughter of Joseph Clarke, who was born in Rhode Island. The father of our subject died in Plainfield, N.Y., in 1848, aged fifty-one years; his wife surviving him forty years, passed away in Plainfield, N.Y., at the age of eighty-six. Both were devout members of the Seventh-Day Baptist Church. They had four sons: Rev. William Clarke, president of Milton College; Hamilton Joseph, deceased; Albert, our subject; and Herbert David, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
   The early life of our subject was spent on his father's farm. In 1847, at the age of fifteen years, he entered Brookfield Academy, but after a few terms was obliged by the death of his father to abandon temporarily his education. He taught district schools for several years, and in 1849 entered De Ruyter Institute as a student, teaching and attending school until 1852, when he entered Alfred Academy, by which he was graduated in the classical course in 1853.
   Mr. Whitford came to Milton, Wis., in 1854, and became instructor in the Latin Language in Milton academy. Returning East two years later, he entered Union College at Schenectady, N.Y., in 1856; and by doing extra work, completed the classical course and was graduated, in 1857, with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. Four years later Union College conferred upon him the degree of Master of Arts.
   Returning to Milton in 1857, Prof. Whitford again became a teacher of Latin at the Academy, remaining in that position until 1863, when he was elected county superintendent of schools of Rock county, Wis. Two years later he was elected to the principalship of De Ruyter Institute, N.Y., filling the position two years. Again returning to Milton, in 1867, he taught for a year in the newly incorporated Milton college, then accepted the chair of mathematics in Alfred University, New York, where he taught four years. Since 1872 he has been professor of mathematics continuously, for two years of this time, from 1878 to 1880, also serving as acting president of the College, while President W. C. Whitford was State Superintendent of Public Instruction in Wisconsin.
   Prof. Whitford married, May 31, 1857, Miss Chloe E. Curtis. Of their five children, one died in infancy. Anna Sophia married C. Eugene Crandall, a professor in the Chicago University. She has recently been engaged as teacher of German Language and Literature in Milton College. Albert Curtis, a railroad conductor, residing at Las Vegas, N.M., married Lottie Harvey; all their children have died, Alfred, the youngest, recently. William Henry, a real-estate dealer at Independence, Kans., married Allie Foster, and has two daughters, Kathleen and Dorothy. Alfred Edward, a student in the Chicago University, has been elected the professor of general physics in Milton College. Mrs. Whitford died Nov. 4, 1888, and on Feb. 14, 1892, our subject was united in marriage to Miss Emily L. Burdick, of West Edmeston, New York.
   Prof. Whitford throughout his long and successful career as a teacher has been devoted to the cause of education in the highest sense. While insisting upon a high standard of scholarship among his students, his unassuming manners and kindness of heart have greatly endeared him to his classes. He is liberal in spirit, and has contributed generously in a financial, as well as educational way to the success of Milton College.

2.   The Sabbath Recorder . (New York City, New York; later Plainfield, N. J.)
   96:15:476, April 14, 1924.

   Albert Whitford, professor emeritus of mathematics and astronomy in Milton College, Milton, Wis., quietly passed away to his eternal rest at the home of his daughter, Mrs. C. E. Crandall, Milton, Wis., early Tuesday morning, March 18, 1924, in the ninety-second year of his age.
   He was born in the township of Plainfield near the village of Leonardsville, N. Y., May 28, 1832, the son of Samuel and Sophia Clarke Whitford; and his ancestry is traced back through David Whitford, Joshua Whitford, another David Whitford, and Nicholas Whitford to Pasco Whitford (born 1640, died 1697), who came from England to America as a young man and made his home in the colony of Rhode Island. His mother was a descendant in two lines from Joseph Clarke, Jr., a nephew of John Clarke, at one time deputy governor of Rhode Island.
   Professor Whitford was the third and last surviving of four sons: William Clarke Whitford, Hamilton Joseph Whitford, Albert Whitford, and Herbert David Whitford; the first of whom was for many years the president of Milton College and prominent in the educational work of Wisconsin, familiarly known as "Elder" Whitford, or simply as "The Elder."
   Professor Whitford was married May 31, 1857, to Chloe E. Curtis. There were five children, one daughter and four sons: Anna Sophia, Now Mrs. C. E. Crandall, instructor in German at Milton College; Albert Curtis, who died June 27, 1902; William Henry, who is a business man at Tulsa, Okla.; Alfred Edward, who is the president of the Milton College; and Arthur Hamilton, who died at the age of eleven months, in 1880. A niece of Mrs. Whitford, Mabel Curtis, grew up in the family as daughter and sister, now Mrs. Alva M. Van Horn of Milton Junction, Wis.
   Mrs. Whitford died November 4, 1888, and on February 14, 1892, Professor Whitford was married to Emily L. Burdick of Leonardsville, N. Y., who died November 29, 1919.
   As a boy Professor Whitford attended the district school near his home, and at academy at Brookfield about eight miles distant, and also for a time DeRuyter Institute at DeRuyter, N. Y., and later graduated, in 1853, at Alfred Academy, Alfred Center, N. Y. He had during these years taught several terms of country schools, and after his graduation he came to Wisconsin in 1854 to be the instructor in Latin at Milton Academy for two years. He then went to Union College at Schenectady, N. Y., and because of advanced work which he had been doing by himself, by close application, and by his native ability, he was able to graduate in the classical course with the degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1857. He returned to Milton Academy as teacher of Latin till 1863. Union College gave him the Master of Arts degree, in 1861. For two years he held the office of superintendent of public schools in Rock County, Wis., and then accepted a call to become the principal of DeRuyter Institute at DeRuyter, N. Y. One year later, in 1867, when Milton Academy was enlarged to become a college, he came back as a professor; but in 1868, he accepted the invitation to become professor of mathematics at Alfred University, Alfred Center, N. Y., and remained there until 1872, when he again returned to Milton College as professor of mathematics and astronomy, remaining in that position almost fifty-two years; although of course during the later years since 1910 he has not been in actual active service.
   For two years, 1878-1880, during one of the terms in which the president of Milton College, his brother, William C. Whitford, was occupying the position of superintendent of public instruction in Wisconsin, he was acting president of Milton College. All the years of his life, active and useful in a large measure, he has been interested in, and identified with educational work in Christian schools.
   As a boy of sixteen, in 1848, he made a profession of religion and was baptized by Rev. William B. Maxson and united with the First Brookfield Seventh Day Baptist Church at Leonardsville, N. Y. Since October 26, 1872, he has been a member of the Milton Seventh Day Baptist Church to which he has given without stint his loving, loyal support. The records of the church show that he has served in almost every official capacity, - as clerk, as treasurer, as trustee, as superintendent of the Sabbath school, as a teacher in the Sabbath school, on important committees, and as delegate to very many other organizations. From 1877 to 1912, a period of thirty-seven years, he was the regular moderator of the business meetings of the church. On December 5, 1886, almost thirty-eight years before his death, he was by a unanimous vote of the church chosen as a deacon, in which capacity he has served with his accustomed exemplary diligence.
   He was for a time a frequent contributor to the columns of the Sabbath Recorder, and in 1883-1884 was the president of the Seventh Day Baptist General Conference.
   Farewell services were held, March 21, 1924, at the home of his daughter and at the Milton Seventh Day Baptist church. A large number of relatives, neighbors, and former students, together with the president body of college trustees, faculty, and students, were in attendance. A double quartet from the college glee club provided music. In the absence of the pastor, Rev. Henry N. Jordan, who was seriously ill in the hospital at Janesville, Wis., the services were conducted by Rev. Edwin Shaw. The burial was made in the Milton Cemetery. E. B. S.

3.   Brown, William Fiske. Rock County Wisconsin: A New History of its Cities, Villiages, Towns, Citizens and Varied Interest, from the Earliest Times, Up to Date. (Chicago, Illinois: C. F. Cooper, 1908)
   830.

   "History of Rock County, Wisconsin", 1879, p 830.
   ALFRED WHITFORD, Professor of mathematics, Milton College; born in Plainfield, Otsego Co., N.Y., May 28, 1832; son of Samuel and Sophia C.; they had four sons - Walter C., Hamilton D., Alfred and Herman D. Alfred attended Brookfield Academy and De Ruyter Institute, Madison Co., N.Y., and Alfred Academy, Allegany Co., N.Y.; graduated at Union College, Schenectady, N.Y., in the Class of '57; then returned to Milton, where he had taught as assistant to his brother, Prof. William WHITFORD, from 1854 to 1856. He also was Professor of Mathematics at Alfred Academy,from 1868 to 1872. Married, in 1857, Miss Chloe, daughter of George and Maria CURTIS, of East Toy, N.Y. Had five children -Anna S., Albert C., William H., Alfred E., and a baby.

4.   GRAD: 1853 Alfred University, Alfred, Allegany Co., New York
   EMPL: 1854 Milton Academy, Milton, Rock Co., Wisconsin
   GRAD: 1857 Union College - BA, Schenectady, Schenectady Co., New York
   EMPL: 1857 Milton Academy, Milton, Rock Co., Wisconsin
   GRAD: 1861 Union College - MA, Schenectady, Schenectady Co., New York
   EMPL: 1865 De Ruyter Institute, De Ruyter, Madison Co., New York
   EMPL: 1867 Milton College, Milton, Rock Co., Wisconsin
   EMPL: 1868 Alfred University, Alfred, Allegany Co., New York
   EMPL: 1872 Milton College, Milton, Rock Co., Wisconsin
   Census: 1880 Milton, Rock Co., Wisconsin; age 48
   Cause of death: Interstitial neelisitis, senility