Biographical Sketch of Jesse Cope Green (1893); Chester Co., PA Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by John Morris . *********************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: Printing this file within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ *********************************************************************** Source: "Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Chester County, Pennsylvania, comprising a historical sketch of the county", by Samuel T. Wiley and edited by Winfield Scott Garner, Gresham Publishing Company, Philadelphia, PA, 1893, pp. 575-577. "JESSE COPE GREEN was born December 13, 1817, in Birmingham township, Delaware county, Pennsylvania, about six miles from Wilmington, Delaware, and resided there until he removed to West Chester, Pennsylvania, in 1841. His early edu- cation was received at the schools of his neighborhood. He subsequently attended the boarding schools of Joshua Hoopes, in West Chester, and Samuel Smith, in Wilmington, Delaware. The vigorous discipline of farm life, in boy- hood, was no drawback to mental cultivation. The leisure moment was not abandoned to leisure. The noon sun and the tallow dip lit the pages of such literature as was within reach. Knowledge was hard-earned, but it was striven for because the young lad knew that knowledge is power and is worth its price. "For more than two hundred years the paternal and maternal ancestors of our subject have been members of the Society of Friends; some of them suffered persecution for conscience' sake. This is a record of character. Could this younthful descendant rest on that? The only way in which we can prove a family name to be an honor to us is by proving ourselves worthy of its honors. "Immediately on leaving school the young man set out to earn a livelihood, and to interest himself actively in the cause of education. He was one of the first to teach school under the 'Common School Law' of Pennsylvania, and taught in Concord, Delaware county, 1836-41. He afterward taught for about a year in the Friends' school in West Chester. "Under the professional tutelage of a prominent dentist in West Chester, in 1842-3, he turned his attention to the study of dentistry. He began to practise in April, 1843, and in August established himself professionally in West Chester, where he has remained continuously in practice ever since. He received the degree, subsequently, of D. D. S., from the Pennsylvania college of dental sur- gery, of Philadelphia. In the prosecution of his life profession, Dr. Green has been markedly successful, and this success has arisen mainly from four causes. First, a rare aptness in mechanics; second, a studious habit, keeping him abreast of the times; third, an unflagging energy; fourth, an aim to succeed in life without parleying with evil or making compromises with the spirit of unfairness, deceit or untruth in any guise. "The first of these qualities has shown itself not merely in his success in mech- anical and other departments of dentistry, but in his attainments in many forms of applied mechanics, whether in wood or metal work. His microscopes received the praise of the world-renowned Zentmayer, and his slide mounts have been pro- nounced by experts singularly beautiful in their finish. Much of his metero- logical apparatus is the product of his mechanical laboratory, and includes the first electrical registering anemonemeter of its kind that was ever made, as well as a very fine mercurial barometer. "On the second point it may be said that Dr. Green was elected a member of the Pennsylvania association of dental surgeons in 1855; he took an active part in effecting the organization of the State dental society, in 1868, of which he was treasurer in 1880 and president in 1883; he held a membership in the American dental association. He was active in the formation of the first National conven- tion of dentists, which began its existence in Philadelphia in 1855. "In 1876, upon the passage of a law requiring the organization of a Pennsylvania State dental examining board, he was elected to serve upon that board, and was made its secretary. He has continued to serve the profession and the public in this responsible and somewhat arduous position without emoluments, from the first meeting of this board up to the present time. "His third mentioned characteristic is sufficiently demonstrated in the life work pictured all through this sketch. "Upon the fourth of the foregoing points, the moral standard, it is a delicate matter to dilate with reference to a living subject. But as an example to young men it may be pardonable to point with one hand to Dr. Green's attainments in his profession, as well as in his studies and acquirements aside, and with the other hand to his reputation for a high sense of honor in all his dealings. It is not out of place to illustrate this point by recalling his rigorous adherence to his principle never to deceive an innocent patient, and particularly a little child. "Notwithstanding his first devotion to business - his determination to drive it, rather than to let it drive him - Dr. Green long ago found and still finds time to serve the community in many forms of gratuitous activity. "He was a member of the West Chester school board for many years, and some time its treasurer and president. In 1857 he originated a movement to establish dis- trict school libraries for which the State law made no provision. To this end he devoted, for three years, a part of his personal commissions as district treasurer for the purchase of books for the public welfare. "He has been a volunteer observer for the Smithsonian Institution and the weather bureau at Washington since 1855, and also for the Pennsylvania State weather service since its organization. He was deeply and actively interested in the anti-slavery movement from 1841. He is president of the Trust and Relief society of West Chester, holds the responsible position of overseer in Friends meeting, and treasurer of the latter since 1864. His connection with the Oakland Cemetery Company, of which he has been a manager for many years, dates from its organiza- tion, in 1852. He was one of the organizers of the West Chester Microscopical society, and has served both as its treasurer and president. For forty-four years he has been an active member and treasurer of the First West Chester Fire Company. "Dr. Green's interests have been broad catholic, as well as special an dparticular. He has a fine miscellaneous library, including a number of 'large paper' and 'de-luxe' editions; and an extensive collection of autograph letters, containing a number of rarities. Probably the finest collection of Continental, Colonial, Confederate and other rare paper money in Chester county is in his possession, as a result of long and intelligent gathering. Not the least interesting antiquarian feature of his library is the fine collection of almanacs, some of them dating back to the beginning of the sixteenth century. For more than a score of years, Dr. Green has been making a collection of walking sticks, which now number over one hundred and thirty pieces. Some of these are made from historic timber, some are rare woods from distant parts of the earth, some are made of various woods exquisitely fitted and finely finished. Altogether the collection is valuable from whatever point of view it may be considered. "Dr. Green is the only son of William Green, who was born in Birmingham, Delaware county, Pennsylvania, December 18, 1791, removed to West Chester, Pennsylvania, in 1845, and lived there until his death, April 19, 1881. William married, March 5, 1817, Phebe Hatton, who was born in Birmingham, Delaware county, Pennsylvania, June 25, 1797, and at this writing is still living in full possession of her faculties, active in mind and body. Dr. Green's paternal great-great-great-great- grandfather was Thomas Green, a native of England, who emigrated in 1686, settled at Concord, Delaware county, Pennsylvania, and died there about 1713. His maternal ancestry also is English, the first emigrant coming to this country about 1682 and settling in Providence, Delaware county, Pennsylvania. The genealogy in several branches has been published with some fulness of detail in Munsell's American Ancestry, Vol. VI. "Dr. Green was married September 30, 1845, to Alice W., daughter of Edward and Tabitha Shields, of West Chester, Pennsylvania. They have four children, Clara, Mary, Edith, and William Hatton. Edith died in her fourth year, February 8, 1859. Mary died in her thirty-fourth year, October 1, 1886. The other two are still living. Clara, the eldest, was married October 28, 1875, to Patterson DuBois, of Philadelphia. They have had four children, the youngest of whom, Constance, alone survives."