Frank Edward Woodruff of Eden, Lamoille, Vt. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Courtesy of the Androscoggin Historical Society (c) 1997 by David C. Young PO Box 152 Danville, Maine 04223 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Frank Edward Woodruff of Eden, Lamoille, Vt. Printed in John Sprague's Journal of Maine History vol 11 page 47-49 FRANK EDWARD WOODRUFF Frank Edward Woodruff, aged 67, professor of Greek Language and literature at Bowdoin College, died at his home in Brunswick, Maine, Sunday, November 19, 1922. He was born in Eden, Vt., March 20, 1855, the son of William P. and Salome A. Martin. When he was one year old his father died and the boy was adopted by John Woodruff of Underhill, Vt., his name being changed from Frank E. Martin to Frank E. Woodruff. He fitted for college at Underhill Academy and in 1875 graduated from the University of Vermont, from which university he obtained the degree of Master of Arts three years later. He taught school, first in Plainfield, Vt., and then in Barre Academy. From 1876 to 1881 he was a student at Union Theological Seminary from which he was graduated at the head of his class and received the foreign fellowship, which entitled him to two years of study in Europe. The following year he spent at the University of -Berlin and in the fall of 1882, he went to Athens to work in the American School of Classical Studies. While there on January 11, 1883, he married Ellen Eliza Hamilton of Brandon, Vermont, who was a classmate at the University of Vermont. In the fall of 1883 he was elected to the chair of sacred literature in Andover Theological Seminary, which he at once assumed, being ordained to the ministry on his arrival in this country. He remained at Andover until 1887 when he accepted the Joseph E. Merrill Professorship of the Greek Language and Literature at Bowdoin College, which position he had since held. In the years 1905, 1908 and 1910 he was lecturer on Greek Literature at the Bangor Theological Seminary. He was a member of the American Philological Association and the Archaeological Institute of America and had recently been elected a member of the governing board of the American School at Athens, Greece. From 1900 to 1904 he served the town as superintendent of schools. In 1920 he was elected one of Brunswick's representatives to the state legislature, and was re-elected at the September election this year. For three years, he represented Bowdoin on the Commission of New England Colleges and Preparatory Schools. He also had served as an officer of the Maine Association of Colleges and Preparatory Schools. He was greatly interested in the work of the First Parish Congregational church, of which he served as deacon for many years. He had for years been treasurer of the Brunswick Benevolent Association, and he was one of the oldest members of the town and college club. He also belonged to the Brunswick Golf Club, of which he was secretary, the Brunswick Club, another local organization. As an authors of text-books, he was widely known, his works including exercises in Greek prose composition, which was published in 1891, New Greek prose composition, published in 1905, and Pastoral Epistles, which was for years used as a text book at the Bangor Theological Seminary. As an undergraduate at the University of Vermont he was prominent in athletics and leader in musical circles, being organist and leader of the college choir. His fraternity was Delta Pi and he was also a Phi Beta Kappa. Prof. Woodruff is survived by his wife, two sons, Dr. John H. Woodruff of Barre, Vt., and Robert T. Woodruff of New York, and a daughter, Miss Edith Woodruff of Long Island, N. Y. In the fall of 1920 he was elected, as a Democrat, a member of the Maine House of Representatives, and served during the session of 1921. The writer served with him on the Legislative Committee on the Maine State Library, and learned to appreciate his ability, faithfulness and conscientious and careful attention to all matters which came before him. We then and there formed a friendship which has been lasting. Its sudden ending by this sad event we deplore and exceedingly regret. He was a good man and a worthy citizen. The State of Maine and especially its educational interests has sustained a great loss.