The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-12-01
(Special to the .Ionrnal !

SchOihrShlp anu was Many Years
Head Of the Burlington Institution.
Especial to the Journal.)
Burlington, Nov. 29.-The funeral
Of President M. H. Buckham of the
of Vermont, will be held
Friday afternoon at o'clock from the
First Congregational church, with the
Rev. G. Glenn Atkins of Providence,
r. l., officiating.
President Buckham died early on
Tuesday morning after short illness
of asthma and complication of dis
eases.
Recitations were suspended at the
University today but will be taken up
again tomorrow. All college work will
be suspended Friday and the faculty
and students will attend the funer-
al in a body.
Mathew Henry Buckham, d. D..
was born July 4, 1882, in Hinkley,
Leicestershire, England, coming
from substantial Scotch ancestry on
the paternal side of the house, and
from equally distinguished English
stock on the maternal side. His
father, the Rev, James Buckham, was
an Independent clergyman of Eng
land for fourteen years, but after his
emigration to America, in 1884, he
preached as a Congregational minis
ter in Vermont and Canada; he died
at Burlington, at the age of 90 years
His mother was before her marriage,
Margaret Barmby of Yorkshire.
Mathew Henry Buckham, son of
aratory study under his father, who
was an accomplished classical schol-
ar. He obtained his bachelors degree
at University of Vermont in 1851, at
the age of 10, receiving the highest
honors of his class, and the next
two years served as principal of the
LenoX Academy in Massachusetts.
After years experience as tutor in
languages at his alma mater, he
went abroad for study and travel,
and spent the years 1886 mainly
in England and Germany. Upon his
return he was made professor of
Greek in the University of Vermont,
a position which he retained until
his promotion to the presidency in
1871, acting also as professor of
rhetoric and English literature in
1867 and 1S63-71 AT the date
last named he assumed the duties Of
nIai in nf Ia
science.
Mr. Buckhams presidency of the
University of Vermont is not only by
far the longest in the history of the
institution, but has embraced the
period of greatest expansion as to
numbers and facilities. During his
administration the main college edi-
flee has been reconstructed, new
building for the medical college pur-
chased and fitted up, a building and
plant for the department of me-
chanical engineering added, the
Billings library, Converse dormitOry
and Williams Science hall, three
structures of unsurpassed beauty and
1901 magnificent gymnasium was
erected at a cost of $25, 900 and fitted
up with all of the most modern APP
planes; a dormitory for young wo-
men students was added; an agri-
cultural experiment farm purchased
and necessary buildings put up and
three homes provided for professors
residences. Additional professorships
have been been endowed, the library
fund increased, and the library
augmented; laboratory facilities
multiplied, additional courses and
the elective system of studies intro
duced, and the work of the expert
ment station much extended. The
number of academical and scientific
students has risen from CT in 1871
to 297 in 1897; and of medical stu
dents from AZ to 2O2 The teaching
staff has been increased from total
of IA in 1871 to % in 1897 gains
which indicate a well founded con-
fidence in the wisdom and prudence
of President Buckham's leadership.
His active interest in popular edu-
cation is attested by his service as
town superintendent and city school
commissioner, as also by his MEM
bership in the Vermont State board
of education from 1S67-1S74. In 1876
he was member of the board of eX-
aminers at the United States Mill
tarN Academy at West Point. His
publications have been chiefly bacca-
laureate and other sermons and edu-
cational addresses, with an OCCASION
al magazine article. He had an en-
viable reputation in Vermont and
adjoining States as a thinker and
speaker on religious, educational and
social topics. He was master OF a
singularly lucid style, sententious
and forcible, but never attracting at
tention to itself In the development
of his thought he was logical AMI
progressive. His rank as scholar
had fitting recognition in 1877 in
the bestowal of the degree of Doctor
of Divinity by both Dartmouth and
Hamilton colleges. In 1900 he re-
ceived the degree of Ill. d. from
Middlebury college
Mr.. Buckham was married Deem
Der 3, 1857, to Miss Elizabeth Wright
of Shoreham, Vt. OF their four sons
Ia l., fD,, 1;Ct "a oI