Biographical Sketch of Henry Grier BRYANT; Philadelphia Co., PA Contributed to the PAGenWeb Archives by Diana Smith [christillavalley@comcast.net] Copyright. All Rights Reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ********************************************************* "Philadelphia, A History of the City and its People; A Record of 225 Years" Publisher: S. H. Clark; Philadelphia; 1912. Vol. 4, page 81 Author, Ellis Paxson Oberholtzer HENRY GRIER BRYANT Henry Grier Bryant, scientist, explorer and the author of many valuable treatises which are the result of wide scientific research and original investigation, was born in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, November 7, 1859. His father, Walter Bryant, was a native of New Hampshire and of English ancestry. The American branch of the family was founded in New England early in the seventeenth century and representatives of the name in later generations participated in the Revolutionary war. Walter Bryant became one of the early merchants of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, to which city he removed in 1829, there engaging in the wholesale leather business. He was also associated with his brother-in-law, Daniel Euwer, in lumber interests, owning large tracts of timber land in northwestern Pennsylvania, which they operated successfully. The mother of Henry Grier Bryant bore the maiden name of Eleanor Adams Henderson and was of Scotch-Irish lineage. She was born in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, and died in 1896. Henry Grier Bryant was educated in private schools of Philadelphia, to which city his father had removed in 1868, and at the Phillips Exeter Academy of New Hampshire, where he continued his studies from 1876 until 1879. In the fall of the latter year he matriculated in Princeton University and was graduated A. B. in 1883, while in 1886 the Master of Arts degree was conferred upon him. Following the completion of his classical course he spent a year in travel abroad and in the fall of 1884 entered the law school of the University of Pennsylvania, from which he was graduated in 1886 with the LL. B. degree. For some time thereafter he gave his attention to settling his father's estate and in 1889 became secretary of the Edison Electric Light Company. His knowledge of law has mainly been used as an asset in the management of business affairs and not as a source of revenue. He has spent much time in travel through the west, his chief desire being to follow up lines of scientific research and exploration. This led to his organization of an expedition to investigate the Grand Falls of Labrador in 1891. This attracted widespread public attention at the time and the results of the expedition were published in the Century Magazine. His deep interest in exploration led him to join the Peary relief expedition of 1892, of which he was second in command, while in 1894 he was made commander of the Peary auxiliary expedition, which brought home the Peary party and which was the only successful expedition in the Arctic regions that year. In 1897 Mr. Bryant organized and conducted an expedition to the Mount Saint Elias region of Alaska and later made extensive travels into the Rocky mountains of Canada. His explorations have won him many honors and his contributions to geographical literature have been of wide interest. He is now serving for the seventh term as president of the Geographical Society of Philadelphia and his work has received international recognition in his election to a fellowship in the Royal Geographical Society. He has also been made honorary corresponding member of several foreign geographical societies, including the Geographical and Anthropological Society of Stockholm. He also received the decoration of Officer of the Academy from the French government. He has attended a number of international geographical congresses as a representative of the Philadelphia Geographical Society. His contributions to the press, as appearing in some of the leading periodicals of the country, have included Notes on Early American Arctic Expeditions and articles descriptive of travels in Java and French Indo- China. His name is associated with that of Admiral G. W.Melville in an interesting experiment with drift casts to determine the direction and speed of circumpolar currents. He spent the summer of 1909 on the Labrador coast and visited the hospitals founded by Dr. Grenfell and the Moravian missions. Mr. Bryant attends the Presbyterian church, and while a republican in politics where national issues are involved, is strongly allied with the independent movement in the consideration of municipal questions. While he is identified with various organizations for scientific research, he is also a popular member of various societies of a purely social character, belonging to the University, Art, Racquet, Corinthian Yacht and Princeton Clubs. He is also a member of the American Philosophical Society and has been the secretary of the American Alpine Club since its organization. In the twentieth century, other things being equal, the men of substance are the stronger forces in the progress of the world. America is fully alive to the opportunity for scientific research and investigation and Henry Grier Bryant is prominent among those who have been making history in that field. Transcriber's additional notes: Census: 1870, July 9; Philadelphia Co, PA; Philadelphia Wd 20 - Dist. 63, p 190; 1250 N. 11th Post Office Walter Bryant, 62, NH, whole lumber, $415,000 real estate, $214,000 pers. property Ellen A, 50, PA, keeping house Walter H, 22, PA Henry, 11, PA, att. school Josephine, 6, PA, att. school George, 1, PA Mary Dougherty, domestic servant, 26, IRE Margt. Surry, domestic servant, 26, NY Kate Sullivan, domestic servant, 18, IRE 1880, June 8; Philadelphia Co, PA; Philadelphia Wd 20, p 93 Walter Bryant, 72, NH, NH, NH, lumber business Ellen A, wife, 59, PA, IRE, IRE, keeping house Walter H, son, 33, PA, NH, PA, at home Willis L, son, 30, PA, NH, PA, lumber business Henry G, son, 20, PA, NH, PA, att. school Josephine, dau, 16, PA, NH, PA, att. school Bridget Lamb, servant, f, w, 44, IRE, IRE, IRE Annie Fagen, servant, f, w, 25, IRE, IRE, IRE Reuben Harris, coachman, m, b, 23, PA, PA, PA 1900, June 8; Philadelphia Co, PA; Philadelphia Wd 20; 2013 Walnut, p 143 Peter Rothermel, 49, Sept 1850, PA, PA, PA, mar 19 yrs, attorney at law J----- B., wife, 36, Jan 1864, PA, NH, PA, mar 19 yrs, 1 child-1 living Peter F. Jr., son, 14, Nov 1882, PA, PA, PA, att. school Henry C. Bryant, bro in law, 40, Aug 1859, PA, NH, PA, attorney at law Annie Summerville, cook, f, w, 40, single, IRE, IRE, IRE Rhoda Davis, chambermaid, f, w, 20, single, ENG, ENG, ENG James Chapie, waiter, b, m, 36, single, MD, MD, MD 1910; Philadelphia Co, PA; Philadelphia Wd 8, p 266; 2013 Walnut st. Peter Rothermel, 59, PA, PA, PA, mar 29 yrs, no occupation Josephine, wife, 45, PA, PA, PA, mar 29 yrs, 1 child-1 living Henry G. Bryant, bro in law, 50, single, PA, PA, PA, lawyer Matilda Muller, cook, 21, f, w, single, Sweden, Sweden, Sweden Mary Greene, maid, 20, f, w, single, IRE, IRE, IRE Mary Golden, maid, 21, f, w, single, IRE, IRE, IRE Susan Pardnew, waitress, 23, f, w, single, IRE, IRE, IRE 1920, Feb. 7; Philadelphia Co, PA; Philadelphia Wd 8, p 90; Aldine Hotel, 1914 Chestnut st. Henry Grier Bryant, 60, PA, NH, PA, single, retired lawyer