Sunday, February 28, 2010

Herman Rutgers LeRoy Emmet

I've already written about my father's father, Herman Aaron, in other posts.  Now I want to share a photo I recently found of my mother's father, Herman Emmet.  Yes, both my grandfathers were named Herman!  That seems rather unlikely to me, but that's the way it was.  Herman Aaron died before I was born, but Herman Emmet lived until I was 12.  I remember him as a sweet old man, who would feel my shoulder blades when I was a little girl and tell me he could feel my angel wings growing.   I don't recall ever seeing any photos of him as a young man, though, until I found the photo below while doing a Google search.  This is copied from the yearbook of the 1912 graduating class of Yale University.  I was very pleased to see this photo of my grandfather as a young man of 22.  They also included his autograph below his photo.  I've included the text from the yearbook as well, which includes some biographical information and a few details of his time at Yale, which he was attending 100 years ago.


"Herman Rutgers LeRoy Emmet was born September 26, 1889 in New Rochell, New York.

Robert Temple Emmet, his father, born May 25, 1854, in New York, graduated from West Point, 1876, and is a retired army officer residing at Ashfield, Massachusetts.  Mrs. Emmet's maiden name was Helena Van Courtland Phelps.  

Emmet prepared at St. Mark's School.  He was on the Freshman and Junior Class Crew, the Varsity Crew and Hockey Squads, the Freshman Gun Team, Varsity Gun Team, assistant manager and manager in Junior and Senior years; secretary of the Corinthian Yacht Club, Sophomore year; Fleet Captain Junior year; governor of the University Club Sophomore year, secretary Junior year and president Senior year. He was a Wrangler, a Cup Man, "Chief" of the Mohicans, Cardinal's, Kelly's and Burgundians.  He was active in work for Yale in China.  Delta Kappa Epsilon.  Scroll and Key.  

In Freshman year he roomed with Ely at 242 York Street; in Sophmore year with Ely, Cornwall, G.C. Murphy and Carhart at the Hutch; in Junior and Senior years with Ely in 254 Durfee and 76 Conneticut.

Emmet expects to enter the concrete brick business.  His permanent address is Ashfield, Massachusetts."

4 comments:

Lidian said...

The Van Courtlands were a grand old Dutch family! I don't know much about them except that but the name rings the proverbial bell. I have a lot of early NY Dutch lines, that is why.

That is a wonderful picture!

BeadedTail said...

How wonderful that you found that photo on the internet! He looks very distinguished!

Unknown said...

I envy how much information you have on your family. For all I have about mine are bits and pieces, and I suppose that even what I have doesn't really count. For I was adopted, and I have no idea who my birth parents are. Please, I don't mean that to sound like I do not consider the ones who raised me to be my mom and dad. For what I was referring to was in regards to bloodlines.

Philip Hone Williams said...

Great... Does not look much like the grand older man I knew. Concrete business... a far cry from building locomotives for GE, eh!