Biographical Sketch of Thomas J. Bryant, St. Joseph, Buchanan County, MO >From "History of Buchanan County, Missouri, Published 1881, St. Joseph Steam Printing Company, Printers, Binders, Etc., St. Joseph, Missouri. ********************************************************************** Bryant's Business College. Thomas J. Bryant, A.M., L.L.B., President. Prominent among the great educational institutions in the West, for the past seventeen years, is Bryant's Business College. The institu- tion was established in the autumn of 1864, by Professor Thomas J. Bryant, and up to the spring of 1881, the college register indicates 2,138 pupils who had entered for a complete business course. Many of these are engaged in business in different states and territories, while others are holding responsible and lucrative positions in bank- ing houses and all departments on the great commercial wave of industry throughout the entire country. The thousands of testimonials received by the college is a succicient guarantee that the satisfaction it has given to those who have been attendants. Professor Bryant is a native of Kentucky, and was principally educated in Cincinnati, Ohio. His early aim was to become proficient as an instructor in commercial and business usages, and for over thirty years has been a successful teacher in these important branches. For fifteen years, he was assoc- iated with Bryant & Stratton's Commercial College of Cincinnati, Ohio. When six years of age, he lost almost the entire use of both legs by disease, which debarred him from all callings requiring physical powers. At the age of fourteen, his parents died, leaving him comparatively without other resources than his mind, which was soon devoted to such sciences as seemed the most useful and practical. He was soon recog- nized as an unsurpassed teacher in penmanship, drawing and the English branches. Graduating at the leading commercial institute at the time, and finding its instructions superficial and impractical, he entered several others with the same result, and has since labored to remedy the difficulty. While teaching under the supervision of the late Joseph Ray, close to leading commercial colleges of the time, he was continually noting the deficiencies of their pupils and seeking such remedies as could be obtained from books and experienced accountants, which initiated the course he has so energetically pursued for many years, during which he has visited the leading business centers, and has continually introduced the improvements best adapted to business and the comprehension of students. Long experience convinced him that though intimate with the details of business and the general nature of accounts, he could not explain the reasons for many things, sufficient- ly to remove the doubts of his pupils without a practical and compre- hensive knowledge of law, political economy and similar branches. He lost no time in taking the degrees at one of the best law schools, and employing the best lecturers and teachers in utilizing these branches to the course of instruction which has generally been but imitated elsewhere, but is now demanded throughout the entire country as the only one approved of by well informed business men of all classes. ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Penny Harrell ====================================================================