Horace Brinsmade Silliman
| Horace Brinsmade Silliman | |
|---|---|
Philanthropist
|
|
| Born |
December 3, 1825 Albany, New York |
| Died | May 4, 1910 (aged 84) Cohoes, New York |
| Monuments | Silliman University, Dumaguete City, Philippines |
| Alma mater |
The Albany Academy Union College |
| Organization |
Presbyterian Church YMCA Phi Beta Kappa Society |
Horace Brinsmade Silliman (December 3, 1825 – May 4, 1910) was a retired businessman and philanthropist from Cohoes, New York and an active layman in the Presbyterian Church. He gave a $10,000 gift to start Silliman Institute, which later became Silliman University, in Dumaguete City, Philippines. . Silliman was known for his and active involvement in the civic community.
Born on 3 December 1825, Horace B. Silliman was the only one of six children to survive to adulthood. He was educated at The Albany Academy, Albany, New York, and graduated from Union College, in Schenectady, New York in 1846, as a member of Phi Beta Kappa Society. Later, Silliman received honorary degrees from Union College and Hamilton College. Hamilton College, at one time, offered him its presidency, but he declined.
Following graduation from Union College, Silliman became a druggist, opening a shop on Remsen Street in Cohoes. His interest in business was shared by his father whose local business ventures included the Simmons Axe Factory and Rathbone & Silliman, makers of iron furnaces. In 1849, Silliman & Stephen C. Miller purchased a newspaper, and established the Cohoes Cataract; Silliman was publisher until 1851. Silliman accumulated a large fortune in the halcyon days of the Industrial Revolution. He was a stockholder in several mills in Cohoes and served on a committee to consider water usage by the mills, resulting in the construction of a new reservoir in 1857 and a reliable water system.
Throughout his life, Silliman generously gave of his time and wealth to Cohoes. He was a leader in organizing a school district in Cohoes in 1849. He worked to improve the community cemetery grounds and participated in efforts to distribute relief to the poor and establish a soup kitchen. He was elected first president of the Cohoes Chapter of the YMCA in 1858, and later served as vice-president. During the Civil War, Silliman took a prominent role in meetings discussing the community’s contribution to the war effort and in the raising of troops. He was active in the work of soldiers’ relief, during and after the war, and gave the welcome address for volunteers returning from the war.
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