November i, 1906 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



53 



THE LATE GEORGE F. HODc^MaN. 



IN the death of George F. Hodginan tlie trade suffers a 

 double loss. Any branch of business which numbers 

 among its leaders men of the high standard of char- 

 acter which his life exemplified, benefits distinctlj- 

 from their infiuence. Hesides, every rubber man who pos- 

 sessed the friendship of Mr. Hodgnian — and they were 

 many — will feel a real personal loss from his passing away. 

 Mr. Hodgman was of New England descent. His father, 

 Daniel Hodgmitn, a native of New Hampshire, with an an- 

 cestry in that region of several generations, began business 

 for himself at Ro.\bury, Mass., in early manhood, but find- 

 ing it uncongenial, he removed to New York and made a 

 new start in life. In 1838, at the age of 30 years, he opened 

 a store at No. 27 Maiden lane in which rubber goods were 

 embraced ; in 1S39 he was advertising mackintoshes, which 

 he produced here almost as early as 

 thej' were made in England ; in 1840 

 he built a rubber factory at the foot 

 of Twenty-sixth street, at the East 

 river, which was operated until de- 

 stroyed by fire in 1853. A new fac- 

 tory was erected in that year at Tuck - 

 ahoe, N. Y., and later an additional 

 factory at Mt. Vernon, both of 

 which are still in operation. Daniel 

 Hodgman was one of the early licens- 

 ees under the patents of Goodj'ear, 

 iiaving allotted to him the right to 

 make rubber door springs — an article 

 which at one time had a great vogue. 

 Mr. Hodgman manufactured many 

 other articles of rubber, however, his 

 faculty for invention enabling him to 

 make them independent of the vul- 

 canization patents. As early as 1S39 

 he was awarded a silver medal by the 

 American Institute for rubber cloth- 

 ing and life preservers, and the Hodg- 

 man factories engaged in the produc- 

 tion of a great variety of articles, but from the beginning 

 the name of Hodgman has been identified closely with the 

 mackintosh manufacture. 



Daniel Hodgman died at Tuckahoe in 1874, at the age of 

 66 years. His widow retained her interest in the factories 

 until her death in 1885, when the sons, who had become 

 identified with the business, had it incorporated as the 

 Hodgman Rubber Co. The Maiden lane store above men- 

 tioned was retained by the Hodgmans for 41 years, and 

 when the growth of their business made necessary larger fa- 

 ci'ties, further up town, it remained a rubber store, in other 

 hands, for many years longer. 



George F. Hodgnian was born in New York citj-, in City 

 Hall place, on December 20, 1844. He became associated 

 with his father in business after leaving school, coming into 

 its control after the father's death, and after the incorpora- 

 tion of the Hodgman Rubber Co. was its president. While 

 but 61 years of age at his death, he lived to see great 



QEORQE F. HODGMAN 



of conducting the rubber business, to which he contributed 

 not a little that was of value. 



For a long while Mr. Hodgman was in tlie habit of going 

 abroad for a vacation every year or so. He sailed for Europe 

 this year on June 15, apparently in perfect health, accom- 

 panied by Mrs. Hodgman. During August heart trouble 

 developed, and his death took place at Garlants Hotel, in 

 London, on September 28. His younger son, S. Theodore 

 Hodgman, learning of his father's serious condition, hast- 

 ened to London, arriving five days before Mr. Hodgman 's 

 death. Funeral services were held on October 16, in New 

 York, at the Madison Avenue Methodist Episcopal church, 

 of which Mr. Hodgman had been a member and secretary of 

 the board of trustees since its organization, 25 years ago. 

 The services were conducted by Bishop Andrews and by the 

 ])astor of the church, the Rev. Dr. 

 Wallace MacMullen. The services 

 were simple, as befitted one who had 

 a profound appreciation of the beauti- 

 ful. In consonance, therefore, with 

 his life was the music, the altar 

 banked with flowers, tributes from 

 friends far and near, the great hushed 

 audience that gathered for a last fare- 

 well, and the touching word picture 

 of the life as his pastor and friend 

 knew it. The attendance included 

 many members of the rubber trade. 

 .\iiiong the honorary pallbearers rep- 

 resenting the trade were the Hon. L. 

 I). Apsley, Benjamin F. Taft, Arthur 

 \V. Clapp, and E. E. Huber. The in- 

 lenueiit was at Kensico cenieterj-. 



In 1866 Mr. Hodgman married Miss 

 Louise Barker, daughter of the late 

 Stephen Barker, who survives him, 

 as well as two sons, George B. and 

 S. Theodore Hodgman, who are re- 

 spectively treasurer and secretary of 

 the Hodgman Rubber Co. Mr. Hodgman was a member of 

 the Union League Club, the New York Chamber of Com- 

 merce, the New luigland Societj-, and the Knollwood Golf 

 Club. He was president of the Rubber Sundries Manufac- 

 turers' Association and a charter member of the Rubber 

 Manufacturers' Mutual Insurance Co., of Boston, and lat- 

 terly a member of its finance committee. Mr. Hodgman 's 

 earlier life was spent in New York citj-, until 1853, when he 

 went with his father to Tuckahoe, N. Y. In 1874 he re- 

 turned to the citj', where he afterward resided. 



The profound sense of personal bereavement that comes to 

 the writer through the passing of ilr. Hodgman is shared by 

 the trade throughout the land. A typical New Yorker, 

 prompt, aggressive, capable, intolerant of injustice, quick 

 to respond to the appeal of the needy, cheerful, companion- 

 able, with deep religious convictions, he was a rare spirit, 

 and honored the trade with which his name was so promi- 

 nently associated. May his meiuorj- live long in the hearts 



changes in the methods of manufacture of rubber goods and of those fortunate enough to call him friend. 



