M EM ORI AL ' J H ALS K G Tm' H ON. O N O P I N EIGHTEENTH PRESIDENT. OF THE N EW YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY THE ERY R E — V V . E ' GENE A . I I O FFM AN L L . D . , D . C . L . RE AD ' E F ORE THE S I E T Y FE ' R A Y OC , ' R 5, 1901 N EW YO RK PR I NTED FO R THE S OCI ETY 190 1 T E S TY 1 0 1 . OFFICERS O F H OCIE , 9 P RE S I D ENT, H E V R V G M T R Y E ' . E . E E N E A H O F F A N D D L D . D . L L . , . C . V -P E N FIRST ICE R SIDE T, L ]fl E R P O N T M. O R G A N N V -P EN SECO D ICE RESID T, S K D Y J O H N E N N E . E N P N N E FOR IG CORRES O DI G SECR TARY, N I C H O L A S F I S H . M P N N DO ESTIC CORRES O DI G SECRETARY, F R E D E R I C W E N D E L L J A C K N E RECORDI G SECR TARY, Y D Y H C A R N E Y m EL D S N E . , J , A ' TRE S RER , C R A R M A N H A L E S . S H E . ' N LI RARIA , R ' R T K ' Y O E H . E L . ' V O E EC UTI E C M MITTEE . — ONE Y N N 1 0 2 . FIRST CLASS FOR EAR , E DI G 9 F R ' RT D P R R . O E SC HELL, ANIEL A IS H, J . , FR ED ER IC WENDELL JACKSON . — E N FOR Two YE EN N 1 0 . S CO D CLASS ARS, DI G 9 3 GR W D NICHOLAS FISH , ISAAC J. EEN OO , K E M D R M AR O . F ANCIS H . , — N N 1 FOR 0 . THIRD CLASS THREE YEARS , E DI G 9 4 s K DY G RG W V D R' T JOHN . ENNE , EO E . AN E IL , R M CHA LES ISHA . ' R — ' E EN N 1 0 FO TH CLASS FOR FO R Y ARS, DI G 9 5. W K . P RP T M RG JO HN A EE ES, J IE ON O AN , T K R ' . JOHN J. C E T K R /zai ma n N . ' C r J O H J C E , , D P R R . S ecrelar . ANIEL A ISH , J , y The Pr s R a T and a a ' e ident, ecording Secret ry, reasurer, Libr ri n ’ re m m e s e' - o cz o f h ' v mm a o . e b r , fi , t e E ecuti e Co ittee ] AT o f h N EW Y K E a stated meeting t e OR HISTORICAL SOCI TY , h T v F 1 0 1 D eld in its Hall , on uesday e ening, ebruary 5, 9 , ean M m K N M e o rial o f h . J N A P N HOFF A read a t e Hon OH LSO I G, P o f h late resident t e Society . O n its conclusi o n the Librarian submitted the f ollowi ng h h u resolution , w ic was adopted nanimously R esolved Th h h ' o f h , at t e t an s t e Society be presented to Dean HOFFM AN f o r his gracef ul and appropriate tribute to r K M . N P o f h h I G, late resident t e Society, and t at a copy be f o r re'uested pu blication . ' f m h E tract ro t e minutes . JR . NE . NE SYD Y H CAR Y , , r n t r R eco di g S ecre a y . O O O . H N . J H N ALS P KI N G H L P I NG JO N A S O K , late President of the New York Historical Society , departed this life on 2 1 1 0 0 . Wednesday , November , 9 He w as descended from an English family , the first member of which in this country , J ohn King , 1 0 0 came from Kent, England , about the year 7 , and settled in B oston . John King left , by his second o f wife , several children , whom the eldest , Richard, was born in B oston in 1 7 1 8 . Richard King received a liberal education , which prepared him for the active duties of his later years . o f 1 o n o f In the spring 745, the invitation Governor Shirley , of Massachusetts , he was actively engaged in raising men to join him in the famous expedition sent against Cape Breton , which resulted in the capture Of the fortress of Louisburg . Although he devoted the later years of his life to mercantile pursuits , being the largest exporter of lumber in the State o f Maine 'then part of the Province o f M as s ach u s e tts th e ) , fragments of his writings which remain evi nce his familiarity with the ancient classics , his political sagacity, his prudence and - solid common sense . By his first wife , who was Isabella Bragdon , of York , Me . , he had three children , the eldest being o u r Rufus , the grandfather of late Preside nt . Rufus King was born in Scarborough , Me . , March 2 1 4 , 755. He entered Harvard College at the age o f o f eighteen , and although a susceptible and ardent temperament , and sharing in the Opposition to the measures of the British Government, he seems to have pursued his studies with diligence , without suf fe ring the excitement o f the times to interfere with O his education . n the resumption of the academic exercises at Cambridge after the occupation o f the university buildings for military purposes , he was graduated with much distinction in 1 7 7 7 . He then pursued the study of law in Newburyport, Mass . , under the direction of Theophilus Parsons , afterward f Tw o Chief Justice o Massachusetts . years later we find him attached to the expedition of Governor Sullivan to take Rhode Island , and from this time forward he was actively engaged in the service of o f his country . He was a member the General 1 8 Court of Massachusetts in 7 3 , and a representa tive from New England in the Continental Congress , n 1 8 1 86 sitting at Trento , N . J. , from 7 4 to 7 , where ' his vigorous oratory and a rare combination o f personal and intellectual endowments made him a fi ' prominent gure . In this Congress he introduced a resolution to adopt an act prohibiting slavery . 1 8 In 7 7 , as a member of the Constitutional Con v e ntio n , he drafted an instrument which bound the States for the first time in o ne strong federation . O 1 1 86 n March 3 , 7 , he was married to Mary , Al o f . only child of John Alsop , New York The sops were descended from the English family of that name , who came from Alsop , in D erbyshire , and settled in Newtown , Long Island , in the sev e nte e nth century . John Alsop was the grandson of the first Alsop who settled here . He became O f eminent as a politician , represented the City New York in the Colonial Legislature and , was a dele gate to the first Continental Congress in 1 7 74 . H e was not in Congress when the independence O f the American colonies was declared , but was at the o f time a member the New York Convention , and o n the adoption o f the declaration o f independence by the convention , he resigned his seat. H e sur v iv e d the Revolution , living in New York until his 1 . death , in 794 He was a devoted churchman , and o f for many years a vestryman Trinity Church , N ew York . Rufus King was described at the time o f his mar riag e as passing fo r the most eloquent man in the ' United States , but so modest that he appeared ' o f ' ignorant his own worth ; while his bride , a most estimable lady , we are told , was remarkable ' ' for her personal beauty ' her motions were all grace , her bearing gracious , her voice musical , and ' her education exceptional . After their marriage they resided with her father , Mr . J ohn Alsop , in his house at the corner of Maiden Lane and William o f Street , and mingled in the best society the me lis f tro p o . The diary o President Washington at this time makes frequent mention o f the young cou ple , who w ere constant visitors at the Presidential a m nsion . z Mr. King , having thus become a citi en of New 1 8 York, was in 7 9 chosen to the State Legislature , ' where he received the unexampled welcome o f an immediate election , with General Schuyler, to the f ' Senate o the United States . He was very rarely f absent from his seat , and e ficiently promoted the establishment Of the new government and the measures and policy Of what was known as the Federal party .