BIO: Hugh McAllister BEAVER, Centre County, PA

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Commemorative Biographical Record of Central Pennsylvania: Including 
the Counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion: Containing 
Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens, Etc. 
Chicago: J. H. Beers, 1898.
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  HUGH MCALLISTER BEAVER, named for his maternal grandfather, Hon. Hugh 
Nelson McAllister, was born at Bellefonte, Penn., March 29, 1873.  He 
was the third son of Gen. James Addams and Mary McAllister Beaver, and 
spent his entire life prior to entrance to College (with the exception 
of short periods while his father occupied the executive office of 
Pennsylvania) in his native town.
  His preparatory education was pursued at Bellefonte and Harrisburg 
Academies, at which he was prepared for entrance to the Freshman Class 
of the Pennsylvania State College in 1891.  He graduated in the General 
Science course in 1895.
  His ancestors of the fourth preceding generation were all born in 
Pennsylvania, and all of the male members of his immediate ancestry of 
that generation served in the Revolutionary war, except Benjamin 
Elliott, who was a member of the Convention which framed for 
Pennsylvania the Constitution of 1776.  On his father's side his 
ancestry was English, German (Palatine) and French (Huguenot), and on 
his mother's side, English and Scotch-Irish.  The distinguishing 
characteristics of this varied, ancestry combined to produce a 
personality which, in early boyhood, was characterized by earnestness, 
intensity, vivacity, courage and perseverance.  These characteristics 
increased and developed with his growth, and found full play in his 
short, active life. 
  He developed very early a strong taste for military pursuits and was, 
for several years, captain of a boys' company called the "Bellefonte 
Guards."  It was difficult to communicate his own earnestness in this 
play service to his company, however, and his own views in regard to 
such service changed with his years.  His 

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.  201

father, knowing his tendency in that direction, and thinking that he 
had an opportunity of securing an appointment to West Point for him, 
wrote to him upon the subject, advising him to determine the matter for 
himself, and give his answer.  His characteristic reply indicated the 
change which his views had undergone upon the subject. Although then 
only in his seventeenth year, he replied, after careful consideration, 
that "life was too real and too earnest to be spent in keeping Indians 
on their reservations or playing the dude at a swell fort," the latter 
part of the remark having been doubtless induced by what he had seen a 
year or two before at the "Hygeia Hotel," at Fort Monroe. 
  A signal illustration of his intensity of purpose and determination 
was exhibited in his last year in college.  During a snow blockage, 
which prevented the running of trains and all intercourse between the 
State College and his home, twelve miles away, by the ordinary means of 
conveyance, he walked the entire distance, most of the way on the tops 
of the fences.  He was naturally much exhausted by the journey, and as 
a result had serious affection of the eyes, which prevented his 
carrying on his studies.  He was fortunate, however, in having several 
young lady friends who had graduated at college and who were familiar 
with the subjects then engaging his attention.  Three or four of them 
were willing to give him an hour each day, and availing himself of 
their invitation, he took up the studies of the senior year with them, 
and by having them read to and discuss the subjects, with him, was 
enabled to keep up with his studies and to graduate with his class.
  During his college course, he was a member of the Beta Theta Pi 
Fraternity, and was largely instrumental in securing the fine Chapter 
House, which is occupied by that Fraternity at the Pennsylvania State 
College.  In this, as in everything which he undertook, he manifested 
the most determined zeal and activity.  One of his fellows in the 
Fraternity has said in regard to it: "His marked business ability well 
fitted him for the work.  He consulted on plans, supervised the work, 
negotiated the finances, and in fact, gave himself so completely to the 
task that he was familiar with the smallest details.  His time and 
money were freely offered.  When the fire swept away the beautiful 
structure, in a few months after it had been occupied, no disconsolate 
cry went up from him.  His first message was:  "We must prepare to 
rebuild at once'; and it was done.  He immediately took hold of the 
rebuilding, and we now have a house better than the one destroyed.  
Hugh lived long enough to see the work finished and the Chapter at home 
once more."
  During his senior year in college a call from the Young Men's 
Christian Association of Pennsylvania, to become its College secretary, 
in the place of his older brother who had been called to the service of 
the International Committee at New York, came to him.  His plans had 
been carefully thought out and, to some extent, laid, but the call was 
carefully considered.  The result was a contest between inclination and 
duty, which finally resulted in his acceptance of the call, and a 
complete dedication of his life to the highest welfare of the young men 
of this country or elsewhere, wherever God, in his providence, might 
call him. To this work he gave two years, diverging at different times 
to take the Bible work at College Conferences at Lake Geneva, Wis., 
Knoxville, Tenn., and Northfield, Mass.  To this work he gave the best 
that was in him and in it achieved marked and marvelous results.  In 
the spring of 1897 he received a call to become the secretary of the 
Inter-Collegiate Young Men's Christian Association of New York City, 
which was then regarded as one of the vital points in College work for 
young men throughout the world.  He accepted the invitation and was to 
have begun his work on the 1st of September of that year, under 
auspices which seemed to promise immediate and far-reaching results.
  His last public work was at the College Conference of young women at 
Northfield, which was held in July, 1897.  He was selected as the 
teacher of the Bible Training Class, and although even more boyish in 
appearance then in years, as was said by one of the members of his 
class "old and young sat at his feet and delighted to learn from him."  
Many of the hundreds of letters which were received by the family after 
his death were from members of this class, and testified to the 
remarkable power which he exercised not only in his public teaching, 
but in his private interviews with its members. One of these letters, 
from a distinguished medical missionary, contains this tribute:  "When 
we saw him, so young and so attractive, we felt the dangers of his 
position.  He was such a good comrade and so absolutely without self-
consciousness or affectation.  He was enthusiastically earnest, and 
filled with the Holy Sprit. His marvelous influence seemed due but 
little to his attractive personality.  To that winsomeness was added an 
intangible something which warded off all foolish sentimentality and 
drew the girls to him, because of the Christ in him.  We sometimes 
wondered how the man in him was not spoiled, when nearly the whole 
Conference sat at his feet.  It is clearer 

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.  202 

now - like his Lord he was not to be touched, because not yet (but oh, 
so soon to be!) ascended to his Father.  What we felt and dimly 
understood was the radiant likeness which now in His Presence satisfied 
his loving heart."
  Upon his return home after his service in this Conference, he seemed 
unusually tired, but made no complaint.  In a few days there developed 
an attack of appendicitis - of which, as was afterward learned, he had 
unheeded premonitions - which ran its course so rapidly that 
notwithstanding the most distinguished medical and surgical advice and 
assistance a fatal termination seemed inevitable and so proved.  The 
earthly life of Hugh Beaver, so consecrated to high aims and holy 
purposes - so full of loving service and so rich with promise - ended 
on the 2nd day of August, 1897.
  At the same hour as the funeral services at his home, memorial 
services were held at the general Christian Conference at Northfield, 
Mass., at which Mr. D. L. Moody spoke very feelingly, and alluded to 
the fact that he had urged young Beaver to accept the chair of the 
English Bible at the boys' school at Mr. Hermon, for which he regarded 
him as especially qualified.
  An earnest effort is now being made to erect a Y. M. C. A. building 
at Lincoln University for the use of its students, to be known as the 
Hugh McAllister Beaver Memorial, so that the memory of this devoted 
young man may be perpetuated along lines of service to which his short 
life was so unreservedly given.