Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1892, volume 3).djvu/318

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HOYT
HOYT

rank of brevet brigadier-general. He then resumed his law-practice, and in 1867 was appointed by Gov. Geary additional law- judge of the courts of Luzerne county. In 1875- 6 he was chairman of the Republican state committee. He was elected governor of Pennsylvania in November, 1878, and held the office till 1883, when he again resumed his law practice. During his term the debt of the state was reduced to $10,000,000, and refunded at the rate of three per cent. In 1881 he received the degree of LL. D. from the University of Pennsyl- vania and also from Lafayette college. He has ?ublished " Controversy between Connecticut and 'ennsylvania " (Philadelphia, 1879) ; and " Protec- tion vs. Free Trade " (New York, 1885).


HOYT, John Wesley, educator, b. near Worthington, Franklin co., Ohio, 13 Oct., 1831. After his graduation at the Ohio Wesleyan university in 1849, he studied law under Hon. William Denni- son, afterward governor of Ohio. He then entered the Cincinnati law-school, and also attended lec- tures at the Ohio medical college and at the Eclec- tic medical institute, receiving his degree from the latter in 1853 when appointed to the chair of chemistry and medical jurisprudence in this col- lege. He then became professor of chemistry and physic in Antioch, serving in 1855-'6, meanwhile delivering lectures in the Medical institute in Cin- cinnati. In 1850 he accepted the chair of chemis- try and medical jurisprudence in the Cincinnati college of medicine, and in 1857 removed to Madi- son, Wis., owing to impaired health. He was editor and publisher of the " Wisconsin Farmer and Northwestern Cultivator " from 1857 till 1867, and secretary and managing officer of the Wisconsin state agricultural society from 1860 till 1872. He was also vice-president of the U. S. agricultural society for many years, and was active in securing national endowments for colleges of agriculture and the mechanic arts. In 1862 he was state commissioner to the London exhibition, and made an extensive tour through Europe in the interest of industry and education, the reports of which were published by order of the Wisconsin legislature. He was state and U. S. commissioner to the Paris exposition of 1867, and made a second educational tour. Dr. Hoyt was instrumental in securing a reorganization of the Wisconsin state university, together with large additions to the en- dowment fund, and founded the Wisconsin acade- my of sciences, of which he was president for six years, during which time he also directed the Chicago historical society. He was executive and, for a time, acting chief commissioner for the United States at the Vienna exposition of 1873, serving also as president of the international jury for education, by appointment of the Austrian im- perial commission, receiving a grand diploma, and being knighted. He was also chairman of the board of judges for education and science at the centennial exhibition in 1876. Dr. Hoyt served as governor of Wyoming from 1878 till 1882, after which he organized various enterprises for the de- velopment of industry in that territory, and was the author of the measure for establishing free public libraries in every county. In 1885 he was chairman of the international jury for education at the New Orleans " world's exposition." He is a member of various learned societies, and president of the Territorial and historical society of Wyoming. He has now (1887) a bill before congress for a Na- tional university to be endowed by the government. In May, 1887, he was chosen president of Wyoming university. His publications consist of exhaustive reports and brochures. He received the degree of LL. D. from the University of Missouri in 1876. — His wife, Elizabeth Orpha, poet, b. in Athens, Ohio, 7 Dec, 1834, is the daughter of John Samp- son, of Massachusetts, and was educated principally by professors in Ohio university. From 1851 til] 1853 she taught higher mathematics and metaphys- ics in Worthington female seminary, and in s:> she married Dr. Hoyt. She has published poems in magazines and newspapers, several small volumes of poems for children (Cincinnati, 1855-'6), and philo- sophical essays. She has a volume entitled " The Na- ture of Consciousness " ready for publication (1887).


HOYT, Joseph Gibson, educator, b. in Dum- barton, N. H., 19 Jan., 1815; d. in St. Louis, Mo., 26 Nov., 1862. He was graduated at Yale in 1840, was instructor in mathematics and natural phi- losophy in Phillips Exeter academy in 1840-"58, and in 1859 became chancellor and professor of Greek in Washington university, St. Louis, where he served till his death. The degree of LL. D. was conferred on him by Dartmouth in 1859. 11 is chief work was a carefully revised and enlarged edition of Colton's " Greek Reader " (1845-'6), and a volume of " Miscellaneous Writings, Addresses, Lectures, and Reviews " (Boston, 1861). A eulogy upon him was delivered by Prof. Samuel Water- house in St. Louis, 20 Jan., 1863, and afterward published (Philadelphia, 1863).


HOYT, Oliver, merchant, b. in Stamford, Conn., 15 Aug., 1823 ; d. there, 5 May, 1887. He was edu- cated in the common schools of his native town, and began life as a currier. In 1844 he removed to New York city, and, with his brother, William, established himself as a leather -merchant, the firm becoming one of the most successful in the trade. Mr. Hoyt took an active part in public affairs, and served three ' terms as senator in the Connecticut legislature, during two of which he acted as president. He was also an active member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and a liberal patron of its various institutions. He contributed largely to the church at Stamford, gave $25,000 to Wesleyan university, and $2,000 to the Wesley memorial church at Savannah, Ga. He was for many years a leading member of the board of managers of the General missionary society, and for a time served as treasurer of the Church board of education. He was a founder of " The Meth- odist," and in 1881 represented his church in the International assembly of Methodists in London. He was chosen a presidential elector in 1872, and cast his vote for Gen. Grant, of whom he was a de- voted admirer. When the fund of $250,000 was raised for the latter by private subscription, Mr. Hoyt was one of the first to subscribe, and greatly aided the enterprise by his zeal and earnestness. He was also a pall-bearer at Gen. Grant's funeral. By his will he bequeathed nearly $100,000 to va- rious charitable and religious institutions.


HOYT, Ralph, poet, b. in New York city, 18 April, 1806 ; d. there, 11 Oct., 1878. Before entering the ministry of the Protestant Episcopal church in 1842, he was for several years engaged in teaching and in writing for the press. He was long rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd in New York city, which he established chiefly by his own exertions as i missionary, and supported its feeble fortunes through many privations. His self-denial, purity of life and character, devoted zeal in his calling, especially in his relations with the poor, were remarkable. His poems are simple in expression, many being devout in sentiment, and, touching tenderly upon the disappointments of life, bear a sorrowful refrain. Others are hopeful and animated. His longest poem is "The