MEMORIAL 65 



MEMORIAL OF HENRY MARTYN SEELY ^ 



BY GEORGE H. PERKINS 



Henry Martyn Seely was born in South Onondaga, New York, on 

 October 2, 1828. He died in Middlebury, Vermont, May 4, 1917, in his 

 eighty-ninth year. He fitted for college at Cazenovia Seminary and 

 entered the Sheffield Scientific School of Yale University, from wliich 

 he graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Philosophy in 1856. During 

 several following years he continued his studies at Yale and received the 

 degree of Master of Arts in 1860. He was Professor of Chemistry in the 

 Berkshire Medical Institute from 1857 to 1862, receiving from that insti- 

 tution the degree of Doctor of Medicine. 



From 1860 until 1867 he was non-resident Professor of Chemistry in 

 the Medical Department of the University of Vermont. In 1867 Pro- 

 fessor Seely went to Germany and studied for two years at Freiburg and 

 Heidelburg. He was elected Professor of Chemistry at Middlebury Col- 

 lege in 1861 and, excepting the two years abroad, he lived in Middlebury 

 until his death — that is, for fifty-five years. 



In 1858 he married Miss Adelaide Hamblin, of Perryville, New York, 

 who died August 25, 1868, leaving a daughter, now Mrs. John Chapman, 

 of Anvik, Alaska. Two years later he married Miss Sarah J. Matthews, 

 of Fair Haven, Vermont, who is still living. Three children of this mar- 

 riage are Mrs. John M. Thomas, Middlebury, Vermont; Dr. Henry H. 

 Seely, Harvard, Nebraska, and Locke M. Seely, Newark, New Jersey. 



Professor Seely was for four years, 1875-1878, secretary of the Ver- 

 mont State Board of Agriculture. The duties of this office called him to 

 visit many of the towns of the State, where he arranged meetings in 

 which subjects of practical interest to farmers were helpfully discussed. 

 In this connection. Professor Seely edited three volumes of reports which 

 are highly valued by the farmers of the State. 



While he was never active in politics, his well known and very pro- 

 nounced temperance principles caused his nomination, in 1886 and again 

 in 1888, for Governor ])y the Prohibition party of Vermont. 



He continued active work as professor at Middlebury until 1895, when 

 he retired as professor emeritus. But his interest in his chosen studies 

 did not cease so long as life lasted. 



Though teaching, with geology, several other branches of science dur- 

 ing most of his life at Middlebury, he became during the latter years 



1 Read before the Society December 27, 1917. 

 Manuscript received by the Secretary of the Society December 14, 1917. 



