The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-10-04
psArH OF o.. loHN sAseoM
Was Long Identified With Williams
College and WiIllamstown.

! Williamstown. Oct. 3.-Dr. John
Bascom. 81, professor emeritus of
Williams college died last night at IL
o'cock at his home here. He was in
his usual health yesterday morning
and was about his yard during the
early morning which had been his
custom for years.
The passing of DR.. Bascom removes
one whose honest personality and
fruitful labors were for many years
OF high value TO Williams College and
Williamstown. He was the soul OF
sincerity, and never shrank from GO
ing where the logic of his thinking
carried him. No man ever truckled
less that he did TO power and wealth.
His influence upon successive gener-
ations OF students was great, and no
less was his service of the town and
the region fairful and valuable,
constant incentive to good citizen
ship. The personality of the man in
fused his teaching. but 1t was less
present and potent in his writings,
wherein there was some loss of the
clarity that marked his instruction.
John Bascom, born May /, 1927, In
Genoa. Cayuga county ~ Y, was the
son OF Rev. John and Laura Wood
bridge) Baseom. His father was
Presbyterian clergyman, while his
grandfather minlstered for many
years in the Congregational church at
Chester. His boyhood days were i'm
pressed with a religious and moral in
fiuence that always remained the
dominant force of his life. He pre-
pared for college at Homer academy
and entered Williams, where he was
graduated in 1S49. The year follow
ing he taught in Ball seminary at
Hoosick Falls, ~ Y. He began the
study OF law in Rochester, N. Y, but
at the end of year turned to the |
ology and entered Auburn theologi- |
cal seminary. AT the close of his |
first year in the seminary he accept
ed tutorship In Williams college,
where he remained nearly two years,
when he decided to complete his theo-
logical course in Auburn seminary.
Williams college again sought his SER
vices at the close of his theological
course, calling him to the professor
ship OF rhetoric. and the next 10
years of his life were spent in that
chair in the Berkshire institution.
For IA years following 1872 he was
president of Wisconsin university.
tut returned to Williamstown and In
1897 again became a member of the
ollage faculty.
The affairs OF the town In which he
pent the greater part Of his life were
I much Importance to him, and he
ever failed to attend a town-meet-
lg OF any kind, whether regular or
pecial, important or unimportant, II ~
'ithin his power to be there. Politi- a.
lily, DR.. Bascom was a strong pro- W
ibitionist and he was several times &c
ominated for office by that party. 81
4 1888 he was the prohibition candi. d,
ate for lieutenant-goyernor. and in o.
895 he ran for the Senate, and a NJ
ear later for Congress. He attend. p'
d regularly the Congregational
huroh of Williamstown, OF which he Ell
as a member Dr. Bascom's servic- IN
; as a preacher we're often sought IN
9th in Williamstown and outside te
lie preached In the Williams college o'
hapel once or twice a term for many ~
ears, and frequently occupied the IL
ulpits In the other churches in the
)wn. His services we're also sought
)r many public occasions, and he
as very often engaged to give lee n
lres, delivering some years ago a
cries to the teachers OF the public
chools of Wiliamstown. lW