68 Tlie America?i Geologist. August, i8<j9 
of them became ministers of the gospel and one a college pro- 
fessor; and of these three, two were at one time college presi- 
dents. That the Marcys were good stock is evident to one 
looking over the "Record of the Marcy Family."* Members 
of the family have been prominent in church and state. Among 
them have been a high sheriff, captain, general, member of su- 
preme court, governor, U. S. senator, secretary of state, doc- 
tors, ministers, college professors and presidents, lawyers and 
explorers. 
Oliver obtained his early education in the common schools 
of his native town. By practicing strict economy and self de- 
nial and by working during vacation he was able to complete 
a college course at Wesleyan university, and to graduate with 
the degree of A. B. at the age of twenty-six. The following 
year he married Elizabeth E. Smith, of Chatham, a woman of 
rare qualities of mind and heart, a true companion and helper 
through their long married life, a lady who has found time and 
strength to carry on a great work among the poor of Chicago, 
and to whom the Chicago Bohemian Mission will long be a 
monument. 
It had early been Mr. Marcy's intention to become a 
teacher. The first position which came to him was that of in- 
structor in mathematics at Wilbraham (Mass.) academy. 
After a year or two in addition to his other work a class in ge- 
ology was assigned to him, and that was the beginning of his 
interest in a subject which aftenvard became his chief interest. 
Sixteen years had been spent in teaching at Wilbraham. 
when he was elected, in 1862, to a professorship of natural 
science in the Northwestern university. These were the days 
when one man had to handle a multitude of subjects in 
western colleges, and Prof. Marcy was called upon to teach 
geology, mineralogy, zoology, botany, physics, chemistry, 
mathematics, logic, philosophy, moral science, and natural 
theology — almost as large a number and as great a variety of 
subjects as claimed the attention of Immanuel Kant, at Konigs- 
berg, one himdred years before. 
Twice he was acting president of the university, serving 
the first time for five years ('76-'8i), and the second time for 
*New England History and General Register, July, '75. Communi- 
cated by Prof. Oliver Marcy, LL. D. 
