Vance, Robert B – Vandergrift, Jacob Jay
Vance, Robert B
congressman, was born in North Carolina. He was a representative in congress from that state from 1823 to 1825.
Vance, Robert Brank
soldier, agriculturist, congressman, was born April 24, 1828, in Buncombe county, N. C.
He was a captain of a company in the confederate service in 1861; and was appointed brigadier-general in 1863. He was elected a representative from North Carolina to the forty-third congress; and was re-elected to the forty-fourth, forty-fifth, forty-sixth, forty-seventh and fortyeighth congresses. In 1885 he was appointed assistant commissioner of patents in the department of the interior.
Vance, Robert Johnston
journalist, legislator, was born March 15, 1854, in New York city. He is the editor of the New Britain Herald; has been city clerk for nine years; and a member of the Connecticut legislature in 1886. He was elected to the fiftieth congress as a democrat.
Vance, Zebulon Baird
lawyer, state legislator, congressman, United States senator, governor, was born May 13, 1830, in Buncombe county, N. C. In 1854 he was elected to the legislature from Buncombe county, N. C.; and in 1858 was elected to the federal house of representatives. He was re-elected to the thirty-sixth congress. He was elected governor of North Carolina in 1862, and re-elected in 1864. He was elected United States senator in 1870, but was refused his seat. He was elected governor in 1876; and was elected a United States senator from North Carolina for the term of six years from March 4, 1879; and in 1885 was re-elected; and again in 1890.
Van Cleave, James Robert Burns
public official, was born Oct. 9, 1853, in Knoxville, Ill. He received his education in the public schools of his native city and at Knox college at Galesburg, Ill. While pursuing his collegiate course he acted as correspondent of the Chicago papers, and afterward was traveling correspondent for the New York Herald and the Chicago Times throughout the south at the period of the Hayes- Tilden electoral contest. He has been enrolling and engrossing clerk of the Illinois state senate; was secretary of the original Blaine club of Chicago; was chief clerk of the custom house at Chicago; deputy city clerk for two terms, and city clerk for turee terms. He has been secretary of every republican state and county convention for many years; and in 1896 was secretary of the state central committee and a member of the executive committee. He is a member of the governor's staff, holding the position of inspector-general of the Illinois national guard. He is also the insurance superintendent of the state of Illinois, and a prominent member of various secret orders and clubs of Chicago, Ill.
Van Cleef, James Henry
lawyer, state legislator, was born July 12, 1841, in Branchville, N. J. In 1877-78 he was city attorney for New Brunswick, N. J.; in 1881 was elected to the legislature; and in 1889 was elected mayor of the city of New Brunswick.
Van Cleve, Horatio Phillips
soldier, agriculturist, civil engineer, was born Nov. 23, 1809, in Princeton, N. J.
He served under General George H. Thomas at Mill Springs, for his part in which action he was promoted brigadier-general of volunteers on March 21, 1862. He was adjutant-general of Minnesota in 1866-70, and in 1876-82. He died April 24, 1891, in Minneapolis, Minn.
Van Cortlandt, Philip
soldier, agriculturist, state senator, congressman, was born Sept. 1, 1749, in Cortlandt Manor. He served through the revolutionary war as colonel in the New York line. He was a member of the New York assembly from Westchester county in 1788, 1789, and 1790; and was a member of the state senate from 1791 to 1794. He was a representative in congress from New York from 1793 to 1809. He died Nov. 5, 1831, in Cortlandt, N. Y.
Van Cortlandt, Pierce
state legislator, congressman. He was a member of the state assembly of New York in 1777; and was a representative in congress from New York from 1811 to 1813.
Van Cortlandt, Pierre
soldier, banker, congressman, was born Aug. 29, 1762, in Cortlandt Manor. He was a leading man in Westchester county, its representative in congress in 1811-12, and major-general of the militia, one of his aides being James Fenimore Cooper. He died in July, 1848, in Cortlandt Manor.
Van Cortlandt, Stephanus
statesman, was born May 4, 1643, in New York city. He was the first and only lord of the manor, and one of the most eminent men of the province of New York after it became an English colony. He served in various offices and became governor of the colony. He died Nov. 25, 1700, in New York city.
Van Cott, Cornelius
state senator, was born Feb. 12, 1838, in New York city.
From 1888-89 he was a member of the New York senate; and in 1889 was elected postmaster of New York city.
Van Cott, Oscar
educator, was born Sept. 17, 1863, in Salt Lake City, Utah.
He graduated from the university of Utah; has attained success as an educator; and during 1896-98 was the first superintendent of Salt Lake county schools under statehood for Utah.
Vandale, John a. A
educator, lawyer, was born Sept. 1, 1853, in Boggsville, W. Va. He is a prominent lawyer of Spencer, W. Va.; was principal of schools for several years, and a member of the school board when the high school was built. He has been public prosecutor for eight years; is a member and secretary of the board of directors of the second hospital for the insane; and has filled various other public positions of honor.
Vandenhoff, George
actor, author, was born Feb. 18, 1820, in England.
He is an actor and elocutionist of note; and the author of Plain System of Elocution; Leaves from an Actor's Note Book; Dramatic Reminiscences; Clerical Assistant, or Elocutionary Guide; Common Sense; and The Art of Reading Aloud.
Vanderbilt, Cornelius
navigator, railroad president, was born May 27, 1794, on Staten Island, N. Y. In 1862 he presented to the federal government his finest steamer, worth $800,000. He founded the Vanderbilt university at Nashville, Tenn., for the education of youth of the methodist episcopal church. He was president of the Harlem, the Hudson River and Central railroad of New York up to his eighty-second year, and his enterprise, genius and success, says the Merchants' Magazine, are known and felt the world over. He died Jan. 4, 1877, in New York.
Vanderbilt, Cornelius
financier, was born Nov. 27, 1843, on Staten Island, N. Y. He was treasurer of the New York and Harlem railroad from 1867 till 1877, then vice-president till 1886, and since that date has been its president. He is a director in thirtyfour different railroad companies, and is a trustee of many of the charitable, religious, and educational institutions of New York city.
Among his benefactions are the gift of a building in New York city for the use of railroad employés, a contribution of $100,- 000 for the protestant episcopal cathedral, and a collection of drawings by the old masters and the painting of the Horse Fair, by Rosa Bonheur, to the Metropolitan museum of art.
Vanderbilt, John
state senator, was born in 1819, in Flatbush, L. I. He was the first judge of the court of common pleas of Kings county, N. Y.; and in 1852 was a member of the state senate. was a
Vanderbilt, William H
philanthropist, was born May 8, 1821, in New Brunswick, N. J. He inherited a large part of his father's immense fortune, and successful manager of his father's stupendous enterprises. He added two hundred thousand dollars to the endowment of Vanderbilt university; and gave five hundred thousand dollars for land and for the erection of new buildings for the college of Physicians and Surgeons of New York city. He removed the Egyptian obelisk to Central park of New York city at an expense of one hundred thousand dollars. He died Dec. 8, 1885, in New York city.
Vanderbilt, William Kissam
railroad president, was born Dec. 12, 1849, on Staten Island, N. Y. In 1882 he was elected president of the New York, Chicago and St. Louis railroad, which position he still holds.
Vanderborg, John C
lawyer, jurist. He was an early immigrant to Indiana. In 1800 he was appointed an associate justice for the territory of Indiana.
Vanderburgh, Charles Edwin
lawyer, jurist, was born Dec. 2, 1829, in Saratoga county, N. Y. In 1859 he was elected judge of the fourth judicial district of Minnesota, which position he held for twenty years.
Vandergrift, Jacob Jay
business man, capitalist, was born April 10, 1827, in Pittsburg, Pa. In 1863-64 he formed a company in Pittsburg for producing oil; and his next important enterprise was in connection with a railroad and pipe line. He laid the Star Pipe line, which was the real commencement of the gigantic system which now prevails under the name of the National Transit company; and of the United ripe lines, Captain Vandergrift has always been president. He was one of the prime movers in the organization of the Forest Oil company, and has been its president since its incorporation. He is interested in various fuel gas and natural gas companies, president of several of them, and also president of the Keystone bank of Pittsburg, Pa.