Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 09.djvu/398

Pole; discovered four variable stars, and was chief of the U.S. Naval observatory expedition to the Island of Sumatra to observe the total solar eclipse of May 17. 1901. He was made a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1891 of which he was elected a fellow, 1893, and also a member of the Astronomical and Astrophysical society of America and of the Astronomische Gesellschaft.

SKINNER, Charles Montgomery, author, was born in Victor, N.Y., March 13, 1852; son of Charles A. and Cornelia (Bartholomew) Skinner; grandson of Warren and Nancy (Farnworth) Skinner and of Oliver and Mary (Everett) Bartholomew, and a descendant of the Skinner and Bartholomew families that settled in New England about 1630. He removed to Cambridge, Mass., 1853, and to Hartford, Conn., 1866, attending the common schools of both places. He was married in 1876 to Ada, daughter of James and Harriet Blanchard, of Washington, D.C. In 1884 he became associated with the editorial staff of the Daily Eagle, Brooklyn, N.Y. He lectured on musical and geographical topics, and syndicated series of articles on labor conditions; the U.S. army; prison methods; and American communities. He is the author of: Myths and Legends of Our Own Land (1896); Nature in a City Yard (1897); With Feet to the Earth (1897); Villon, the Vagabond (1898), a drama played by his brother, Otis Skinner; Myths and Legends Beyond Our Borders (1898); Do-nothing Days (1899); Myths and Legends of Our New Possessions (1899), and Flowers in the Pave (1900).

SKINNER, Charles Rufus, educationist, was born at Union Square, Oswego county, N.Y., Aug. 4, 1844: son of Avery and Charlotte Prior (Stebbins) Skinner. His father, a native of New Hampshire, settled in Watertown, N.Y., in 1816, and in Oswego county in 1826. The son attended Clinton Liberal institute and was graduated from the Mexico academy, N.Y., 1866, meanwhile teaching in the schools which he attended. He was assistant postmaster at Watertown, 1866–67; in charge of the New York house of the Walter A. Wood Mowing and Reaping Machine Company, 1867–70; part owner, business manager and city editor of the Watertown Daily Times, 1870–74. He was married, Oct. 16, 1873 , to Elizabeth Baldwin of Watertown, N.Y, He was a member of the board of education of Watertown, 1875–84, of the New York assembly, 1876–80, and a representative in the 47th and 48th congresses, 1881–85, where he was instrumental in securing the reduction of letter postage from three to two cents, and was the author of the bill providing for the special delivery system. He was deputy state superintendent of public instruction. 1886–92; supervisor of teachers' institutes and training classes, 1893–96, and state superintendent of public instruction from April 7, 1895. He was elected president of the National Educational association in 1896; was a life member of the New York State Press association, a trustee of St. Lawrence university, and of the Albany Home School for the Deaf. He received the degrees: A.M from Hamilton, 1889, LL.D. from Colgate, 1895, and Litt.D. from Tufts, 1901. He is the author of: Commercial Advantages of Watertown, N.Y. (1876); New York Question Book (1890); Arbor Day Manual (1891); Manual of Patriotism for the Schools of New York (1900).

SKINNER, Henrietta Channing Dana, author, was born in Cambridge, Mass., youngest daughter of Richard Henry, Jr. (q.v.) and Sarah (Watson) Dana. She attended private schools in Boston and Paris; was a special student at Radcliffe college, Cambridge, for two years, 1886–87; and began to contribute articles to Scribner's and other magazines as early as 1878. She was married, June 25, 1892, to Henry Whipple Skinner of Detroit, Mich., where she subsequently made her home. She is the author of: Espiritu Santo, a novel (1899); Heart and Soul, a novel: (1901), and contributions to the Atlantic Monthly, the Catholic World, and Harper's Magazine.

SKINNER, Otis Ainsworth, author, was born in Royalton, Vt., July 3, 1807. He joined the ministry of the Universalist society in 1826, and was pastor at Baltimore, 1831–36; Haverhill, 1836–37; Boston, 1836–46, and New York city, 1846–49. He returned to Boston in 1849, and in 1857 removed to Elgin, Ill. He was president of Lombard university, Galesburg, Ill., 1857–59; and pastor at Joliet, Ill., 1859–61. Lombard conferred upon him the honorary degree of D.D., 1858. He edited the Southeast Pioneer. 1831–36; the Gospel Sun, 1836–37, and the Universalist Miscellany, 1844–49; and is the author of: Universalism Illustrated and Defended (1839); Miller's Theory Exploded (1840); Letters on Revivals (1842); Prayer Book for Family Worship (1843); Letters on Moral Duties of Parents (1844); Lessons from the Death of the Young (1844); Reply to Hatfield (1847); Death of Daniel Webster (1852). He died in Napierville. Ill., Sept. 18, 1861.

SKINNER, Richard, governor of Vermont, was born in Litchfield, Conn., May 30, 1778; son of Gen. Timothy Skinner. He attended the Litchfield law school, practised law in Manchester, Vt., 1799; was state's attorney for Bennington county, 1800–13; a representative in the 13th congress, 1813–15; in the state legislature, 1816–18; speaker of the house, 1818; assistant judge of the supreme court, 1815–16. and declined the chief-justiceship in 1817. He was governor of the state, 1820–24, and chief justice of the state supreme court, 1825–29. He was president of the north-