The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1907-12-20
REV.GEO. BECKETT
ENDS HIS LADORS
EMINENT DIVINE AND EDUCATOR
DIES IN NEW YORK IN NINE.
TIETH YEAR.
VAS HERE TWEET.SEVEN YEARS
Served coiumhis instftute win
Great Fidelity And Marked
Ability.

II w" A~& 1870 NAAS0& GNGNlAGE. Abf
eember 10. in the SOth year Of n,
age The burial will taAe place !,
that city. His wife and one son. sur
wv rim. 4+a
Or. Beckett was an Engiishman b,
birth, but came to this country earay
in life. After teaching school fol-
awhile in HopkinsviIe. KY. ana lates
Oh at ST. Matthews. near Louisville
be came 70 Columbia. at the earnest
solicitation Of Bishop Quintard. in
1866, and took charge Of the Columbia
Institute. This was shortly after the
close Of the war between the states.
and the South lay bleeding and pros.
trste, in poverty, ruin and ashes. The
Institute had been used as a hospital.
and was sadly diiapidated and needing
repair II was a worn, torn building;
that was all. II was uninviting, its
future was in doubt. 1t presented just
one prospect just one opportunity;
the prospect and opportunity for serv-
ice and for doing good. DR.. Beckett
was the God sent man for the place,
and the work became the inspiration
and purpose of his life. He had
private fortune of his own, and he In.
vested ten thousand dollars In repair
ing and furnishing the Institute; then
no ,nonad ;tc doopc n vorSfohla daon
OF hope, to the young women OF the
South, and for twenty-seven years
with almost divine inspiration, and
with benevolence and Kindness rare
among men, he gave culture, education I
and polish, to the pupils under his
care. How he succeeded is we'll /
known history in this community. The
Institute halls were crowded with the
best blod of the South, and the queens
Of the finest culture and the fairest
land on earth came and stayed and
took home with them their diplomas.
Without money and without price,
many Of them; for while they had
broad acres and rich lands. noble birth
and pure blood, they had no money;
and what this grand old man. sent Of
God, did for the South that first quar-
ter Of century, in educating hun
dreds and thousands of its young
women, simply on the faith and credit
he had in their fathers the world does
not know and will never know; for DR..
Beckett's closest friends never knew.
except by inquiry or accident, of his
benefactions on his charities
For perhaps twenty years of this
time DR. Beckett was also Rector of
St. Peters church, and there was :
never man more beloved than he .
was His place here among this peo- :
pie, all those years, was unchallenged; :
he was the head and front in public =
thinking, In deeds of charity, in all ;.
GOOD works, along all broad lines OF .,
lsefulness. So great was his impress. o,
hat children then unborn have grown y,
Up since to call his memory blessed; !,
md to those who knew him well and
owed him, their reverence for his
memory is like unto that Of patron
amt In intellect and thought, In
mind and heart, in will and purpose,
is was a combination where every
Cd did seem to set his seal to give
he world assurance of a man. He nj
'as man of fine culture, of broad
lteligence, of strong will. of hxed
urpose, of tender heart and his
larity knew no bounds. He had the
implicitly of a child, yet he was
ian among men. He was without Sc
'tentation. and he knew not how 10 his
exon with any sort of vulgar show &c
vain display he was quiet, cui- tn.
RED, humble Christian gentleman. Go
Added to his virtues, and without vi
hich his life's work could not have ms
ached the full fruition and complete mig
ccess ii did, he enjoyed through II cut
the complement OF devoted com PHI
nion, who was a heipmeet AZ ev- the
' point and period along the way cut
:e aeEer dimmed, but long ssseeia- tod
N sweeteneti and strengthened their pos
re; sweethearts in youth. lovers wal
rough he. crmror1ers thcy ~-re. 10
oh for the other, always. She and sen
devoted son, John. survive him me-
t is fitting and right and proper, u
not merely compliment but ~
lnden duty to themselves, that ST. w
ters congregation should, as they en-
y do tomorrow. hold memorial
vice 10 the memory OF this grand