OILMAN
GILMAN
C^^^^iWU:
as one of the commissioners to the Exposition
Universelle of 1855 in Paris. After liis return lie
became librarian of Yale and subsequently a pro-
fessor of physical and ijolltical geography in the
ShefKeld scientific school. During his residence
in New Haven he was a trustee of the Winchester
astronomical observ-
atory and a visitor of
the Yale school of the
fine arts. For a short
time he was city
superintendent of
schools and after-
ward secretary of the
state board of educa-
tion. He was married
in 1861 to Mary,
daughter of T.
Ketoham of ISIew
York city, who died
in 1869, and he was
again married in
1877 to Elizabeth
Dwight, daughter of John M. Woolsey O'f Cleve-
land and New Haven. In 1872 he was president of
the University of California and then became the
first president of the Johns Hopkins university.
He resigned this office in 1900, and in 1902 was
made president of the institution founded by
Andrew Carnegie. He was director of the Johns
Hopkins hospital and a trustee in the Peabody
institute, the Pratt library, and the Mercan-
tile library of Baltimore. He was made trustee
of the Peabody fund for the promotion of educa-
tion in the south, president of the Slater trustees
for the education of the freedmen, president of
the American Oriental societ}', and vice-jaresident
of the Arcluuological institute of America. He
was also made an officer of public instruction in
France. He was a member of the Venezuelan
commission appointed by President Cleveland,
and a member of the commission appointed to
draft a new charter for Baltimore. The hono-
rary degree of LL.D. was conferred upon him by
Harvard, 1870, Columbia. 1887, St. John's (Md.),
1887, Yale, 1889, the University of North Caro-
lina, 1889, and Princeton, 1896. He is the author
of numerous addresses and essays on historical
subjects and on education, some of which are
collected in a volume. University Problems in the
United States (1898) ; Life of James Monroe (Ameri-
can Statesmen Series, 2d ed., 1898); and an In-
troduction to de Tocqueville's Demoeraey in
America (1898) ; and he edited the miscellaneous
writings of his friends. Dr. Francis Lieber and
Dr. Joseph P. Thorn jison.
OILMAN, Edward Whiting, clergyman, was born in. Norwich; Conn., Feb. 11, 1833; son of William Charles and Eliza (Colt) Oilman. He
was graduated from Yale in 1843, taught in
Professor Kinsle3'"s school for boys. West Point,
N.Y., and in the grammar school of the Univer-
sity of the city of New York, and attended
Union theological seminary, 1845-i7, and Yale
theological seminary, 1847-49, at the same time
serving as tutor at Yale. He was ordained to the
Congregational ministry, Dec. 4, 1849, and was
pastor at Lockport, N. Y., 1849-56; at Cambridge,
Mass., 1856-58; at Bangor, Maine, 1859-63, and at
Stonington, Conn., 1864-71. In 1871 he became
secretary of the American Bible society in New
York city, editing the Bible Society Eecord, and
contributing frequently to newspapers and peri-
odicals. Yale conferred upon him the degree of
D.D. in 1874. He was married June 5, 1850, to
Julia, daughter of Prof. Benjamin Silliuian. He
died in Flushing, L.I., Dec. 4, 1900.
OILMAN, John Taylor, governor of New Hampshire, was born in Exeter, N.H., Dec. 19, 1753; son of Nicholas and Ann (Taylor) Oilman; and fourth in descent from the Hon. John Oilman (1624-1708), x'oyal coimcillor of New Hampshire, 1680-83. He served in the provincial army in 1775, marching with one hundred men to Cam- bridge, Mass., when the news of the fight at Concord and Lexington i-eached Exeter. He was assistant I'eceiver-general of the state under his father; representative in the New Hampshire legislature, 1779-80; a member of the committee of safety ; a delegate to the defence convention at Hartford in 1780; delegate to the continental congress, 1782-83 ; ti'easurer of the state, 1783-94 ; one of the three commissioners to settle the war claims of the states ; and governor of New Hamp- shire, 1794-1805, and again 1813-15, in the mean- time serving as a representative in the state legislature, 1810-11. He was a trustee of Dart- mouth, 1807-19, and received the honorary degrees of A.M. and LL.D. from that institution in 1799. He died in Exeter, N.H.. Aug. 31, 1828.
OILMAN, Nicholas, senator, was born in Exeter, N.H., Aug. 3, 17.55; son of Nicholas and Ann (Taylor) Oilman. His father was receiver- general of the colony and state treasurer. 1775- 1820. Being a leading politician he did much to shape the policy of New Hampshire in relation to the impending disruption with the mother country. He imbued his sons, to whose tavlj- ed- ucation he gave his personal supervision, -Hith the spirit of patriotism that soon showed itself in per- sonal sacrifice in the war for American indepen- dence and even attracted the notice and secured the friendshiiJ of the commander-in-chief of the American armj' and of Oen. Benedict Arnold. Nicholas. Jr. . joined the patriot army at the first intelligence that came from Boston of the clash of arms at Concord and Lexington and he did effective service as an officer in the American
