Ohio History Journal




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and that the meeting could then adjourn to such time or in such way

that it could be reconvened for the further business of the Annual

Meeting. After some discussion of this matter, a resolution was offered

that when the present meeting concludes such business as is necessary

for its present consideration and is prepared to recess, that it recess to

a second session which is to be called at such date and place as shall

be determined by the present President and Secretary of the Society,

and that at the recessed session the minutes and annual reports be read

and other regular business be transacted as shall pertain to the Annual

Meeting. This resolution was unanimously adopted.

After the presentation and consideration of certain matters of gen-

eral nature to the Society, and proper action thereon, the preliminary

session of the Annual Meeting was adjourned at 3:00 o'clock, subject

to the second session as provided for above.

 

 

 

BANQUET TO DR. VENABLE.

On the evening of Friday, April 26, (1912) men of learning from

all parts of Ohio assembled in the banquet hall of the Business Men's

Club, Cincinnati, to greet and do honor to Dr. William Henry Venable,

the leading author and educator, born and still resident in Ohio. The

occasion was the eve of the seventy-sixth birthday of the distinguished

guest. The banquet was under the auspices of the Ohio Valley His-

torical Society of which Dr. Venable has been a member since its

organization some five years ago.

The affair was presided over by Harry Brent Mackoy, who early

in the evening made an address eulogizing the works of the guest of

honor. In his opening remarks he referred to Dr. Venable as a maker

as well as a writer of history.

Dr. Venable in modest demeanor told how appreciative he was of

their tribute and expressed his deepest affections for his friends and

coworkers, who as well as he had so greatly added to the happiness

and advancement of their state.

When he had finished his address the guests arose and drank a

toast to him and wished that he might live many years to enjoy the

fruition of his life's endeavor.

Mr. Mackoy then introduced Charles T. Greve, who had charge

of the arrangement of the affair and who was to act as toastmaster.

Mr. Greve made a touching address in which he said that Dr. Venable

was one of the foremost Ohioans, and to be a foremost Ohioan was

to be a foremost American.

The first speaker he called on was Dr. Dabney, president of the

University of Cincinnati, who responded to the call of the toastmaster,



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330        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

 

paying high tribute to the works of Dr. Venable. He expressed his

pride in being a member of a community in which the name of Venable

meant so much. Dr. Dabney told in what high regard the name Ven-

able was held down in Virginia, where he came from and where the

name was a synonym for greatness.

Toastmaster Greve read missives from men of letters from all

parts of the United States, including a glowing tribute to the honored

guest from James Whitcomb Riley.

Emilius O. Randall was the next speaker. He came from Colum-

bus to attend the banquet and declared that the life was richest that

had dealt most with literature. Like his predecessors, he paid tribute

to the work of Dr. Venable as historian and poet.

Several others made addresses. Among them     were Dr. Dyer,

superintendent of the public schools; Archer B. Hulbert, a professor in

the college at Marietta; Dr. Charles Frederic Goss, Frank P. Goodwin

and others. They all reminisced over this man's life, telling those in-

cidents which had endeared him to them.

Dr. Venable is a native of Warren county, 0., where he received

his education at the little red brick school, later finishing his work in

the National Normal University. He married Mary Ann Vater of

Indianapolis. He was for many years proprietor of the Chickering

institute of Cincinnati. He enjoys the distinction of having organized

the Society for Political Education. He was the first president of the

Teachers' Society of Ohio. He lives in Tusculum.

Among those present at the banquet were the following:

Alfred H. Allen, Dr. Sam E. Allen, W. Harvey Anderson, Harry

T. Atkins, Dr. S. C. Ayres, Albert Bettinger, Dr. E. R. Booth, Dr.

M. B. Brady, Prof. J. E. Bradford, Miami University; C. J Brooks,

Dr. J. D. Buck, P. J. Cadwalader, Dr. C. E. Caldwell, Ralph Caldwell,

Dr. Otis L. Cameron, Lawrence C. Carr, Dr. Arch. I. Carson, S. F.

Carey, Davis W. Clark, A. J. Conroy, O. T. Corson, Columbus, O.;

Rev. M. Crosley, Brooksville, Ind.; Dr. Chas. W. Dabney, Charles J.

Davis, Judge David Davis, Walter A. DeCamp, Dr. J. E. Douglas, Dr.

F. B. Dyer, Edward S. Ebbert, Challen B. Ellis, Richard P. Ernst, M.

J. Flannery, Hamilton, O.; F. L. Flinchbaugh, Wm. Lytle Foster, John

Gates, Frank P. Goodwin, Judge F. H. Gorman, T. W. Gosling, Dr.

Charles F. Goss, Charles T. Greve, Dr. E. E. Harcourt, A. S. Henshaw,

Alexander Hill, N. D. C. Hodges, Dr. C. R. Holmes, Lewis C. Hopkins,

Jerome B. Howard, W. T. Howe, Prof. Archer B. Hulbert, Marietta

college, Davis L. James, Simeon H. Johnson, Dr. Otto Juettner, John

S. Kidd, Leopold Kleybolte, Dr. Albert A. Kumler, John Ledyard Lin-

coln, Harry M. Levy, John Uri Lloyd, S. T. Logan, E. D. Lyon, E. F.

Macke, Harry B. Mackoy, W. H. Mackoy, John H. Miller, Prof. P. V.

N. Myers, Rabbi David Philipson, John J. Piatt, North Bend; E. O.

Randall, Columbus, O.; C. D. Robertson, Caspar H. Rowe, Daniel J.



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Ryan, Columbus, O.; C. E. Schenk, J. R. Schindel, Murray Seasongood,

Frank H. Schaffer, D. H. T. Smith, Rufus B. Smith, Dr. R. W. Stewart,

Thomas T. Swift, G. S. Sykes, Rev. Geo. A. Thayer, Bryant Venable,

Emerson Venable, R. O. Venable, Dr. Chas. E. Walton, J. W. Worth-

ington, F. B. Wiborg, J. O. White, Charles B. Wilby, Joseph Wilby,

John F. Winslow, Isidor Wise, Paul Wisenall, E. J. Wohlgemuth,

Everett I. Yowell.

 

 

MARTIN DEWEY FOLLETT.

Judge M. D. Follett, one of the organizers of the Ohio State

Archaeological and Historical Society, a life member and beginning

in 1895 for some ten years a trustee, died at his home in Marietta,

Ohio, August 22, 1911.

Concerning his distinguished life we quote from a memorial pub-

lished by the Washington County Bar Association of which for many

years he was a most eminent member.

Martin Dewey Follett was born in Enosburg, Franklin county,

Vermont, October 8, 1826, the son of Captain John Fassett Follett and

grandson of Martin Dewey Follett. Many members of his family had

risen to prominence in colonial and revolutionary times. In 1836 his

father, with his wife and nine children, came west and settled on a

farm in Licking county, Ohio, where the subject of our sketch grew

to manhood. Having taught school for several years, he entered Mari-

etta college and graduated, with highest honors, in the class of 1853-

having completed the required course in two years. He received the

degree of Bachelor of Arts; and three years later was further honored

by having conferred upon him the degree of Master of Arts. After

being graduated he taught for one year in the high school at Newark,

Ohio, and for two years in the academy and public schools at Marietta,

Ohio, and in 1856 was elected superintendent of the local schools, which

he served two years.

In 1856 he married Miss Harriet L. Shipman, of Marietta, Ohio,

to whom were born four children, all of whom are deceased except

Mr. Alfred Dewey Follett, a member of this bar. Judge Follett was

married a second time in 1875 to Miss Abbie M. Bailey, of Lowell,

Mass., to whom was born one son, Edward B. Follett, a judge of the

court of common pleas of this district.

Judge Follett was admitted to the bar in 1858, at the time of

his death being the oldest member of the bar association, in point of

service; Mr. R. M. Stimson having been admitted in 1849, but never

practiced; and R. K. Shaw, who was admitted in 1855 in New York,

but came to Marietta in 1860. At the October election in 1883, Judge

Follett was elected to the Supreme Court of Ohio and served there from