BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH Ixiii 



gressors and victims, witnesses and officials, looked up and 

 copied records and affidavits, read up the Spanish law both 

 civic and military, governing the proceedings; in short posted 

 himself completely and at the source. The result was several 

 illuminating articles on the subject published in the "Catholic 

 World" in 1910, and an answer to Mr. Archer, the English 

 critic, in "McClure's Magazine" of the same year. Mr. Archer 

 had espoused Ferrer's cause but had not dug down to the facts 

 nor informed himself upon the Spanish law in the case, as 

 Mr. Shipman had. Mr. Archer wrote brilliantly and rhetor- 

 ically, but Mr. Shipman knew the case to the roots; Mr. 

 Archer's glittering euphemisms were stripped bare by Mr. 

 Shipman's trenchant array of the facts, which Mr. Archer had 

 so carelessly neglected. 



In 1913 Mr. Shipman was elected to the Board of Regents 

 of the University of the State of New York to succeed Mr. 

 Eugene A. Philbin, whose appointment to the Supreme Court 

 of New York State had occasioned a vacancy. To Mr. Ship- 

 man the election was extremely gratifying, as it gave him i 

 the opportunity to enter upon a work especially congenial 

 and for which he was eminently fitted both by temperament 

 and training, and as a man of large public spirit always eager 

 to serve the community to the utmost of his ability. He 

 regarded it as a crowning public honor to his career and the 

 fulfilment of his public ambition. How well he performed 

 the duties of his position and how valuable were his services 

 as a Regent is amply shown in the Memorial adopted by the 

 Board of Regents and the Commemorative Addresses at the 

 University Convocation of 1915, published in this volume. 



As a director of the company which has published the 

 Catholic Encyclopedia, not only was he prompt and diligent 

 in the ordinary duties of his office, but he was especially con- 

 sulted and took part in all important matters outside the 

 usual routine of business. His wisdom was always clear 

 and practical and he spared no pains to give the company 

 of his best. A number of the articles in the Encyclopedia! 

 are from his pen, and his advice was constantly sought by 

 the Editors, particularly upon such subjects as pertained to 

 his chosen field or were cognate. His name should be in- 

 separably connected with the Encyclopedia, in the making of 

 which he played no small part. 



