The Hawaiian gazette., 1916-09-19
FAMOUS
PUBLlgiSl,PASSED
AWAY AT HIS HOME
--. a
Republican Retormer and For
mer President Of Columbia,
Dies After Long Illness
PUBLIC RECORD FULL M
OF IMPORTANT WORKS
Efficiency and Honesty In Ser
vice of People Marked Career
Of Eminent Educator

J INV HMM SotpteHlDeT los-TnooNH
Low, famous American educator and
PubIieiht, died yesterday at bis home ID
Bedford Hills. ~ ~ ia. "
Mr.. Low was twice mayor Of Brook
Hn, once mayor Of New York and for
eleven years was president Of Columbia
University. 3 In each of these offices
ne became distinguished for public
service, and he5was known throughout
the counry as one Of the leading fg
ures in New York City life.
Born in Brooklyn, January IS, 1850,
he eame Of a long line Of merchant
princes and men Of culture. His grand
father, for whom he was named, was &
Harvard bred merchant, who, previous
20 his settlement in New York, did q
prosperous business in Salem; MassaS
skusetts. His father, AbieI Abbott
Low, founded big business in the Inn
portation Of tea and silk in New York.
and at one time had feet of more
than n dozen clipper ships engaged 10
the China trade. I -. .''E 49,.
Brilliant Student and Athlete ,-, >. :
Young Low was educated at the
Polytechnic Institute in Brooklyn and
then at Columbia, from which he was
graduated in 1870, at the age of TWEEN.
~. In college he had been distin
guished both as student and an ath.
lete. He exdelled in tennis and foot,
ball, bowling and billiards. and On the
gridiron he often lined up against the
harculcan form Of Hamilton Fish. Doc;
tor Barnard, the then president of the
'ollege, was particularly attracted by
young Lows work and personality, and
IN the spring Of Low 3 sraior year the
president spoke thus Of him in letter
to friend; 81 have Just been having
long talk with young Low, the first
scholar in college and the most manly
young fellow we have had here for
manga year. .s&. 2sEe,1 2'F, -
On leaving Columbia Mr.. Low went
| to his fathers business house, entering
as a clerk and trayersing all the grades
until he was finally head OF the firm.
l In the. meantime, he became greatly in
terested in public life, particularly In
Brooklyn charities. In 1878 he organ.
lied and became the first president of
che Brooklyn Bureau Of Charities,
which was one of the first societies or
gained for the promotion Of coopera.
ton and the prevention of waste and
imposition in charity service. y
Enters Politics As Republican
| IT was during the campaign of Gar
field for President, in 1880, that Mr..
Low first became prominent in politics
| "young Republican club. was or.
ganized in Brooklyn to promote the
Garfield campaign, and MFR. Low was
| al ,,.a..1ank 81 Ia al,,h Mn.
nicipal affairs in Brooklyn were at that
time in a bad way, suffering from the
wave of extravagance and corruption
that had been set in motion by the
Tweed ring in New York, Mr.. Low
and his club insisted that the improve
ment in civic government could be ac
complished only by disregarding party
lines and national issue 50 far as mu
niCipal affairs were concerned. The
4 principle at that time was n new one
and Mr.. Low 3 leadership in the move
ment resulted in his election as mayor
of Brooklyn by the regular Republican
and independent forces. In 1888 HI
was reelected for a second term. HI
st God squarely and insistently' for bust
ness principles in local affairs, and HI
carried the municipal administration
!. in Brooklyn to such a high point o
efficiency that he was almost univer
sally praised. He was remarkably self
. reliant and fearless. 1t is said tina
hen he was elected mayor he ue
manded Of the men whom he named TO
y the most important heads of the de
partments a pledge that each woul'
hold his resignation mOmentarily sub
} ject to the call of the mayor. IT wa
an uupreced ented demand, and il illus
trated his high sense of responsibility
] durng his administration.
; Most Loyal To Columbia
Il On the expiration of his second teri
in Brooklyn, Mr.. Low spent severa
years in European travel and stud.
He had always been most loyal an
b. interested alumnus of Columbia an
had been on the board of trustees sim
I 1881. In 1890, I'm his fortieth year h
was tended the presidency of the un
versity. He made no pretentions {
being an educator in the technical {
professional sense but he decided
accept the call. His administrative
| was brilliant one. A student of me
rather than of books, he was notably
man of great executive and organizin
: ability, and Gnancier Of keen insigt
and sound judgement. 1t was durin
! his administration that the universit
: moved from down town 10 its preseI
r. commanding site, covering four cit
squares on Mornings Heights. Phroug
his influence many large gifts of none
! were attracted to the university, al
, he himself gave a million dollars f.
} the erection Of the stately libral
building which is memorial to h
father.
o He brought about the coordination
= the various schools THAT now make |
q the university and founded the univer
+ ity council which made the sphere
e university influence include nearly 50l
Isl students and nearly 500 names on II
u roster of instructors.
d Defines Needs Of Colleges
J. Asked what he considered the grcU