Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-12
GRANT CHOICE FOR PARKS POST
PLEASING TO MANY in CAPITAL
News of Coolidge's Inten-
tons Well Received
BY District.
Grandson of Former p res.
ident Has Long Expert
ence i'm Work.

pected to appoint Nj !. Ulysses =.
Grant. I'd. to the position % director
| OF public buildings and public parks
Of he National CAPITAL. was received
With satisfaction h Washing onia MS,
who have come TO know Maj. Grant
| through his work az assistant to Lieut.
Col. G. O. Sheriff.. whose resignation
was accepted yesterday by the Presi-
| dent.
| The announcement OF the Presi.
! cents intention vas made following
conference with Maj. Grant. and
| after an urgent appeal from Col. Sher-
rill 20 name his successor promptly,
| SO that he could turn all Of the affairs
! OF his office over 70 him before De
! leaves For Cincinnati TO take hold of
his new position on Japuary l next.
Sheriff. Sees President.
The proposed appointment of
Maj Grant. ii is said. meets with
general approval, both In the
Engineer Corps and among the
organizations Of the Capital City
interested in the great plans
for the Identification of the National
Capital into the most attractive city
In the world. Col. Sheriff. publicly
Endorsed Maj. Grant for the post
both because Of his long training. his
present knowledge of the affairs of
the Office. he has served since
July as principal assistant to Col
Sheriff.. and because of his previous
training on details here. Two Other
names We're mentioned in connection
with the post, those of Col. Sher-
wood A. Cheney, who relieved Col
Sheriff. as chief military aide to the
President, and Lieut.. Col. Ernest D
Peek on duty in the Office of the
Assistant Secretary of War
Is Important Detail.
Handling as It does many Of the big
projects for the Identification Of the
National Capital and having general
supervision, under the National Capt.
tai Park Commission, Of the great city.
planning project for the development
of Washington under the Mcmillan
plan OF 1901. the office Is one Of the
most important Army details in the
Capital City.
Nal. Grant is a grandson of the dis
tinguished Civil War general and
President and a son of Maj. Gen.
Frederick Dent and Ida Grant. He
was born at Chicago. ILL.,. and was
educated both In Vienna, Austria, and
in this country
He attended the Cutler School, New
York, for four and a half years, and
then entered Columbia University in
1893, but left to accept an appointment
to the United States Military Academy
al West Point from which he was
graduated in 1903. being commissioned
a second lieutenant In the Engineer
Corps Of the Army. He was promoted
to first lieutenant in 1904, captain
In 1911 and major in 1916. During the
he iAiI
lieutenant colonel and colonel In the
National Army, and served on the
general STAFF here. He also is
graduate of the United States Engf-
neers' School.
Has Long Service.
In 1903 and 1904 he was with the
Army in Mindanao. Philippine Is
lands: In 1906 WAS with the Army of
Cuban paciflcation, AT Vera Cruz In
1904, and also with the Mexican punt
tive expedition. During the entire
period from 1913 to 1917 he was with
the American forces which were mo-
bilized on the Mexican border.
Maj. Grant was at Versailles, France.
from 1918 TO 1919 as United States
assistant commissioner to negotiate
an agreement with Germany relative
to the treatment Of prisoners Of war,
and with the American commission to
negotiate peace, Paris. France. in 1919.
He is an Officer d'Honneur, France.
holds the distinguished service medal
of the United States, G. NJ G. of Great
Britain, ST. Maurice and St. Lazarus,
Italy and the Solidaridad Of Panama.
SOn-in-Law Of Root.
He is a son-in-law of Elihu Root,
former United States Senator from
New York, and one slime Secretary of
State, having married Miss Edith
Root in this city November 81. 1907.
Maj. Grant was on duty In this city
from 1909 to 1918. at which time he
was superintendent Of the State, War
and Navy Buildings. which Office now
has been consolidated with the former
public buildings and grounds office.
forming the present Office of public
buildings and public parks Of the Ma
tional Capital {
During his service there he was
for slong periods In charge Of both Of
fees during the absence of Col. Spen-
Ger Cosby. Before coming to his pres
ent detail az assistant director of this
ONCE, he was in charge Of tho second
river and harbor district at San Fran
cisco. and secretary and disbursing of.
f1cer of the California Debris Com
mission, which controls the hydraulic
mining there and develops and han
dies the flood control works.
Duties Of Office.
Some idea of the Importance Of this
ONCE may be obtained from the fol-
lowing list Of principal duties. The
director has charge of tho improve.
ment. maintenance and operation Of
the parks Of Washington. including
the administration of all activities
therein, such as recreat:onal features
golf courses. tennis courts. base ball
fields, foot ball fields. This involves
executive responsibility for all work
involved in an expenditure Of approx
mately $1,0OO.0 900 a year.
He has charge of the construction.
maintenance and operatiop of the