Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1889, volume 6).djvu/541

served also as a director in many commercial or financial companies. Mr. Wilder served in the legislature in 1839, in the governor's council in 1849, and in the state senate, of which he was president, in 1850, and he was one of the founders of the Constitutional Union party in 1860, being chairman of the Massachusetts delegation to its Na- tional convention of that year, which nominated Bell and Everett. Through- out the war he was a firm supporter of the U. S. government. He took special in- terest in agriculture and horticulture, was president of the Mas- sachusetts agricul- tural society for eight

years, of the Norfolk

agricultural society for twenty years, and for six years of the U. S. agricultural society, of which he was the founder. He was also a founder of the American pomological society, and became its presi- dent on its organization in 1848, continuing many years in office. The value of his researches in hy- bridization and fruit-culture were recognized not only in the United States but abroad. Mr. Wilder was also president of the New England historic- genealogical society from 1868 till 1886, and was a leader in the movement that gave to Boston the Natural history rooms and the Institute of tech- nology. He published a large number of historical, agricultural, and other addresses, including those " On Laying the Corner-Stone of the First Massa- chusetts Horticultural Hall " (Boston, 1844) ; " On the 225th Anniversary of the Settlement of Dor- chester " (1855) ; annual addresses before the His- toric-genealogical society (1868-73) ; lectures on "California" (1871) and "The Hybridization of Plants" (1872); "On the Progress and Influence of Rural Art" (1872); and addresses before the American pomological society (1848-'73) and the U. S. agricultural society (1852-6).

WILDER, Samson Vryling Stoddard, merchant, b. in Bolton, Mass., in 1780 ; d. in Elizabeth, N. J., 2 April, 1865. He became a merchant in Boston, visited Europe in the interests of his business, where he formed the acquaintance of Rev. Rowland Hill and other eminent men, who enlisted his sympathies in the formation of Bible and tract societies, and in 1830 went to New York, where he engaged in banking. He was president of the American tract society in 1823-'42, and was connected with many similar organizations, from all of which he retired in 1842. He was the author of numerous religious tracts that were widely cir- culated. See "Records of the Life of S. V. S. Wilder" (New York, 1866).

WILDES, George Dudley, clergyman, b. in Newburyport, Mass., 19 June, 1819. He was fitted for Harvard, and became usher in mathematics at Chauncey Hall school, Boston. He was graduated at the Virginia theological seminary at Alexandria, was ordained deacon in New Bedford, Mass., in 1846, by the bishop of Kentucky, and at the same time invited to the professorship of mathematics at Shelby college, Ky. He was ordained priest in Ded- ham, Mass., in 1848, by Bishop Eastburn. After holding several charges, he became assistant at St. Paul's, Boston, and also supervisor of the Episcopal school of Massachusetts. Afterward he was at Brookline and then at Salem, where he became a member of the State board of education. At the outset of the civil war Dr. Wildes was instrumental in raising the 23d and 19th Massachusetts regi- ments, forming also the field hospital corps, vol- unteering as its head for service, and being com- missioned a chaplain. Since 1867 he has been rec- tor of Christ church, Riverdale, New York. He received the degree of A. M. from Harvard in 1855, of S. T. D. from Hobart in 1871, and that of D. D. from the College of Kansas in 1886. Since its organization in 1874 he has been general secre- tary of the church congress, being one of its origi- nal founders. In this capacity he has edited eleven volumes of papers and addresses (1872-'88). Dr. Wildes has published sermons and addresses, has edited Bishop Griswold's "Lectures on Prayer," and translated George Herbert's Latin poems.

WILDEY, Thomas, a founder of the Order of Odd-Fellows in the United States, b. in London, England, 15 Jan., 1783; d. in Baltimore, Md., 19 Oct., 1861. He came to this country in 1817, and labored in Baltimore as a maker of coach-springs. In 1819 he established in that city the first lodge of Odd-Fellows in the United States, and from 1825 till 1833 he was grand-sire of the grand lodge. A monument has been erected to his memory in Baltimore by members of the order.

WILES, Lemuel Maynard, artist, b. in Perry, Genesee co. (now Wyoming), N. Y., 21 Oct., 1826. In 1848-'51 he studied with William Hart in Albany, and Jasper F. Cropsey in New York. He followed his profession in Washington, D. C, Buf- falo, Utica, and Albany, N. Y., and in 1864 opened a studio in New York. In 1875 he assumed the directorship of the College of fine arts in Ingham university, Le Roy, N. Y., and in 1888 he founded the Silver Lake art-school at Perry, N. Y. His works include " The Pillar of Fire," " Mount San Jacinto, California," " Ruins of the Cathe- dral of San Juan Capistrano, Cal.," " The Noon- day Retreat," " The Vale of Elms," " Snow- bound," and "A Song of the Sea." — His son, Irving Ramsay, artist, b. in Utica, N. Y., 8 April, 1861, studied painting at first under his father and afterward at the Art students' league, New York, and in 1882-'4 under Jules Joseph Lefebvre and Carolus Duran in Paris. He is known as a clever figure-painter, and his " Corner Table " gained the third Hallgarten prize at the Academy of design in 1886. He is a member of the Society of American artists, and the Water-color society.

WILEY, Calvin Henderson, clergyman, b. in Guilford county, N. C, 3 Feb., 1819 ;'d. in Winston. N. C, 11 Jan., 1887. He was graduated at the University of North Carolina in i840. studied law, and was admitted to the bar soon after his graduation. He was elected to the state legislature in 1850, and again in 1852, and in the latter year was chosen the first state superintendent of common schools, to which post he was re-elected for six successive terms of two years each by an almost unanimous vote. So efficient was the system of public instruction under his administration that the schools were kept in operation during the entire period of the civil war, something which it is claimed did not occur in any other southern state. Having previously studied theology, he was licensed to preach by the presbytery of Orange in 1855, in 1869 was appointed general agent of the American Bible society for middle and eastern Tennessee, and in 1874 was transferred to North Carolina, South Carolina being included in his field of labor in 1876. During the civil war Mr.