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BIOGRAPHIES
 Source:
AKRON
and
SUMMIT COUNTY, OHIO
1825 - 1928
Volumes II & III
Illustrated
Publ. Chicago and Akron
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company
1928
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FERDINAND SCHUMACHER
Source: Akron and Summit County,
Ohio 1825-1928 - Vol. III - Illustrated - Publ. Chicago &
Akron. The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co. - 1928 - Page
741 |
Franklin Augustus
Seiberling |
FRANKLIN AUGUSTUS SEIBERLING
Source: Akron and Summit County,
Ohio 1825-1928 - Vol. II - Illustrated - Publ. Chicago &
Akron. The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co. - 1928 - Page 5 |
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NELSON CLARK STONE.
Every man of clearly defined character has that within him
which demands expression in many forms, and of this type was
Nelson Clarke Stone, whose activities touched the
general interests of society to their betterment. More
than forty years of his life were devoted to the service of
the National City Bank, and as its president he aided
materially in making Akron one of the great industrial
centers of the world. He was well known as a
connoisseur and patron of music and the arts.
Religious, civic and philanthropic affairs also occupied his
attention, and nothing was foreign to him that concerned his
fellows or touched the world's progress and improvement.
He extracted from life the real essence of living, and the
depth and strength of his character made him universally
admired.
A native of Akron, Mr. Stone was born
Mar. 30, 1853, at the corner of Mill and Summit streets,
where the famous Jumbo Mills were later built, and he was a
son of Nelson Beardsley Stone, one of the
pioneer lumbermen of the city. he latter's parents
migrated from Connecticut to Ohio, settling on a farm near
Tallmadge and the family has been represented in Summit
county for nearly a century. Nelson C. Stone
acquired his early instruction in Akron, completing a course
in the old Jennings high school, and in 1872 matriculated in
Delaware College. Later he was a student in the Ohio
Wesleyan University, from which he received the degree of
Master of Arts in 1876, and then went to Europe with thirty
other graduates of that institution, spending a year abroad.
Soon after his return to Akron, Mr. Stone
entered upon his business career as a clerk in the office of
the Weary, Snyder & Wilcox Lumber
Company, working for some time under his father, and then
went to Kansas. His first financial experience was
gained in a Leavenworth bank and from there he went to New
York city, returning to Akron after an absence of two years.
In 1887 he became a bookkeeper in the old City National
Bank, which was then located on Howard street, and a year
later was made its cashier. His duties were faithfully and
efficiently discharged and on the reorganization of that
institution as the National City Bank in 1903 he was elected
president. For twenty-three years he wisely and
successfully administered its affairs, developing one of the
largest and strongest financial institutions of this part of
the state and establishing an enviable reputation as a
financier. In 1926 he was made chairman of the board
of directors and served the bank in that capacity until his
death on Nov. 9, 1927, at the age of seventy-four years. As
an executive he displayed rare judgment and ability of a
high order. Along industrial lines he was connected with the
Seiberling Milling Company of East Akron and the
Selle Gear Company.
Mr. Stone was married Dec. 24,1879, in
Chicago to Miss Margaret J. Oburn, a daughter of
William and Mary J. (Findley) Oburn, and theirs proved
an ideal union. The First Methodist Episcopal church
numbered Mr. Stone among its most faithful
members and liberal supporters. He was most regular in
his attendance at church, and when at home it was only
illness that prevented his presence at church service and it
was his unfailing practice when away from home to attend
religious worship each Sunday. He listened with deep
interest to the sermons and from his boyhood enjoyed an
intimate acquaintance with the foremost preachers of his
day. He served on the pulpit committee and acted as
chairman of the music committee. In 1893 he succeeded
his father on the board of trustees and the combined service
of the father and son in this department of church work
covered a period of nearly eighty years. Nelson C.
Stone was identified with the Benevolent Protective
Order of Elks, the Ohio Society of New York, the University
and City Clubs of Akron, the Portage Lake Country Club, the
Union and Country Clubs of Cleveland, the Bankers Clubs of
New York City and America and a number of financial
organizations. In the affairs of the Akron Chamber of
Commerce he took a leading part, serving on many of its
important committees, and his political allegiance was given
to the republican party. Keenly interested in "the
sport of kings," he maintained a box at the Randall races
and he loved horses and their achievements in the same way
he loved music and life, and his capacity for enjoyment, his
sympathetic, generous nature and unfailing good humor made
him a most desirable and agreeable companion. Like
Carlyle, he believed that "Music is the speech of the
angels" and was a great admirer of Evan Williams,
deriving much pleasure from listening to his beautiful
voice. Mr. Stone enjoyed the privilege
of knowing many singers of international repute and his
collection of musical records is second to none in the
world. Perhaps no better indication of his character can be
given than the following article, written by Evan
Williams, Jr., and published in one of the local
papers:
"The mortal remains of Nelson C. Stone were
returned to the dust Saturday. Headlines, telling of
his passing, referred to him as the dean of bankers.
News stories and editorials spoke of him in the highest
terms as a keen business man, a loyal friend, a good citizen
and a lover of horses. A mere mention was made of his
love for music, and nothing was said at all of his love of
good living. That was to be expected, for in this
workaday world such things are forgotten.
"I have always considered it a privilege to be among
the few who addressed Nelson C. Stone as 'Uncle
Nel.' He was perhaps the dearest friend my
father had, in Akron or elsewhere. Since the death of
my father he had been even more than a friend to those of us
who were left. Never was he too busy to stop for a few
minutes to chat or advise us on some matter personal or
financial. That is the reason I feel privileged to write
about him. * * *
"It has always seemed to me that business was a matter
of third or fourth importance to Nelson C. Stone.
In the first place he was a true lover of good living.
He was one of the very few remaining epicures of Akron and
the country at large. Second came his interest in
music and arts—which could probably be classed with good
living. After that came his business, horses and other
things.
" I once heard Mr. Stone remark that he
would rather be sick in the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New
York city than any other place in the world. For many
years he stopped at the Waldorf whenever he was in New York.
For there they knew—from the manager of the hotel to the
humblest dishwasher in the kitchen— that Nelson C. Stone
of Akron, Ohio, recognized and appreciated good service and
the best in foods. He was not known there as a banker.
That was of secondary importance.
"The moment he registered word seemed to spread to
every employe of the famous hostelry. He would go to
the dining room for luncheon and was escorted to his
favorite table by the headwaiter—not a captain, mind you,
for it was considered an honor to escort Mr. Stone of Akron
to table. He would then say: 'Mr. Stone,
we have some of your favorite Long Island duckling today.'
Chances are that the duckling was not on the menu. But
the mighty Oscar himself, most famous of chefs, would have
gone down to the kitchens and personally supervised the
roasting. And before luncheon was over Oscar would be
at the table to find if everything was satisfactory. Oscar
seldom lavished such attention on anyone short of a crown
prince. The same thing would happen during every meal
Mr. Stone had at the hotel. On one occasion he was
stricken with some minor malady while at the Waldorf. Chefs
vied with one another in preparing tasty delicacies for him
and other employes almost fought among themselves to serve
him.
"To N. C. Stone dinner was nothing short of a
ritual. To him fish was not merely fish. It was
pompano, scrod, haddock, sole or bluefish. The same with
other dishes. Breakfast was not a hasty cup of coffee and
piece of toast at some cafeteria, but a carefully selected
meal, as was luncheon or dinner.
"Next to good living came music. Life without
music to N. C. Stone would have been a dismal affair.
Once or twice during the opera season he would journey to
New York—whether he had business there or not. Before
leaving he would write for seats at the opera. After
an Oscar-supervised dinner at the Waldorf, he was in his
seventh heaven listening to Caruso, Farrar, Gigli, Homer or
Schumann-Heink singing the immortal melodies of Verdi or
Puccini. If he was in New York five days, you could be
sure that he heard five operas. Or if it was not
during opera season, you would find him in Carnegie Hall,
Aeolian Hall or some other temple of music listening to
concerts."
"He was the most ardent admirer of my father, Evan
Williams, the silver-throated Akron singer, that ever
lived. He never missed a New York recital nor one of
the big festivals at Worcester, Cincinnati or Evanston.
A festival would not have been a festival without N. C.
Stone. I will never forget him at a big Welsh
Eisteddfod in Pittsburgh—I believe back in 1914. If
you have never heard an Eisteddfod you have never heard
music. Six or seven of the greatest mixed choruses in
the world were competing for a prize. On the final
night they all joined together —just imagine one thousand
trained voices in one vast chorus— in giving 'King Olaf,' a
famous oratorio. It was the hottest night of an
uncommonly hot summer. And there sat N. C. Stone—the
only time I have ever seen him in his shirt sleeves—with
great beads of perspiration rolling down his face, but
wearing the most glorious smile ever seen on human
countenance. I really believe it was one of the big
moments of his life.
"The collection of talking machine records in his home
bears mute testimony to his love for music. The
collection must contain several thousand records, carefully
put away in special racks. The Victrola, one of the
best made, stands on a special platform so the horn is about
the height of a man's face. He had it placed thus
because he believed the sound was distorted at a lower
level. He even sent to foreign countries for records
he could not get here. I believe he has every record
the great baritone Battistini ever made, and his one
regret was that Battistini would not cross the ocean
to sing in this country. I believed Nelson
Stone valued his collection of records more than
anything in his home.
"To get away from music, it always seemed to me that
Mr. Stone rather regretted having the National City
Bank move from Howard street to its present location on Main
street. It always seemed that he was rather
cooped up in the new building. His" office was more
spacious and more beautiful—but it was the personal contact
with his friends that he missed. In the old bank his
office had a big window facing the street. He would
sit by the window and watch for acquaintances. One
would pass and he would rap smartly on the glass. The
friend would take that as a signal to enter, and a
ten-minute chat would ensue. He loved to watch the
world pass by, and in the new building that was impossible.
"Akron may remember Nelson C. Stone as a
gentleman of the old school, a splendid citizen and a great
banker, but in my memory he will always be treasured as one
who had discovered happiness through deliberate and good
living. There are all too few like him."
John A. Botzum said of him: "Nelson C. Stone,
dean of Akron bankers, has gone from our midst. No
longer will the city see him and hear his merry laughter.
But in his going he leaves behind something we call
memories, something that will live and make all of us the
better for having known this man. Mr. Stone
was a prince of a man. He was great in his wealth
of experiences. In his boyhood days he associated with
giants. They were the men who were the pioneers in
building Akron. His contacts with such men made an
impress upon him which remained with him always. He
was rich in his friendships and his friendships covered a
wide range. He made no distinction between high and
low positions. He could take to his heart the humblest
men. He always disliked the small and mean things in
human nature. He loved little children. He loved
all the fine things of life. He loved art and music.
Shortly before he left he said he believed the best is yet
to come. This beautiful thought he found in a poem and
it made him happy."
The following tribute to his memory was paid by the men
with whom he was associated in banking: "Mr. Stone
loved life. He was sensitive to its many appeals in
music, the drama, books, flowers, the grace of animals and
the fine products of art and skill.
"He had a genius for friendship. His intimacies
embraced national leaders of thought, speech and action in
business, finance, state and church. No less did he
share his rich nature with the humble. He enjoyed the
naturalness of little children and was devoted to the
companionship of home. He felt the challenge of the
throbbing life of modern industry and was active in its
promotion.
"Reticent as to his inner life, undogmatic in his
views, he was deeply interested in the progress of religion,
maintaining a simple trust in the God of all life and having
a growing confidence that beyond life's richest experiences
'the best is yet to be.'
"Our personal loss is very great, and while we mourn
his loss, we are proud of his achievements and of the
privilege that has been ours to be associated with him. He
was a man whose character
and leadership were appreciated not only in this bank but
generally throughout the city of Akron. By the death
of Mr. Stone this bank has lost a good
executive; the stockholders and depositors a man at all
times mindful of their interests; and the directors,
officers and employes a loyal and constant friend."
Source: Akron and Summit County, Ohio 1825-1928 - Vol.
II - Illustrated - Publ. Chicago & Akron. The S. J.
Clarke Publishing Co. - 1928 - Page 194 |
Sherman G. Swigart |
SHERMAN GEORGE SWIGART.
One of the oldest civil engineers in point of continuous
activity in the field is Sherman G. Swigart, manager
of the firm of S. G. Swigart & Son, of Akron.
He has operated in this field for thirty-seven years, making
steady advancement until his progress has placed him in a
position of leadership in his chosen calling. Ohio
numbers him among her native sons, his birth having occurred
in Copley, Summit county, June 28, 1865, his parents being
George S. and Laura E. (Oviat) Swigart, the latter also
a native of Copley. The father was born in Lawrence
township, Stark county, Ohio, and engaged in farming
throughout his entire life. He passed away in Copley
in 1895, while his wife died in Los Angeles, California, in
September, 1927. They were the parents of five
children: Sherman G., of this review; Heman J.,
who is a resident of Akron; Louis A., living in
New Mexico; Mrs. C. T. Adams, who makes her home in
Los Angeles, California; and Mrs. O. E. Lytle, of
Akron.
In his youthful days Sherman G. Swigart attended
the public schools of his native town and following his
graduation from high school entered Buchtel College, where
he took work in the regular scientific course. With
the completion of his studies in 1891 he entered business on
his own account and has done important surveying and
engineering work throughout the intervening period, his
business activities carrying him into various western states
as well as throughout Ohio. From 1893 until 1896 he
filled the office of county surveyor of Summit county.
He is now manager of the firm of S. G. Swigart & Son,
which he organized in 1923 and in which his son, Sherman
T. Swigart, is associated with him. Skillful,
efficient, earnest and thoroughly reliable, he has attained
a well merited measure of success.
On the 20th of September, 1893, Mr. Swigart was
married to Miss Anna Tait, a daughter of George
Tait, and they became parents of a daughter and a son.
The former, Pauline, now the wife of H. L. Howard,
was born in Akron in 1895 and resides in Los Angeles.
She has a son, Clifford Howard, born in October,
1923. The son, Sherman T. Swigart, born in
Cleveland in 1900, is a graduate of the high school of
Missoula, Montana, and is now junior member of the
engineering firm of S. G. Swigart & Son. He
wedded Miss Iris Russ, of Akron, and they have one
child, Patricia Ann, born in Akron, Feb. 6, 1924.
Mr. and Mrs. Swigart hold membership in the West
Congregational church and he is also a Mason, belonging to
the lodge, chapter and commandery and also to the Mystic
Shrine. He is likewise a member of the American
Society of Civil Engineers and Akron Automobile Club, and is
one of the original members of the Fifty Year Club of Akron.
His has been a busy and useful life in which well directed
and honorable activity has brought him to the goal of
success. Long a resident of Summit county, he is
widely known within its borders and enjoys the respect and
good will of all with whom he has been associated. His
home is at
542
Stratford avenue.
Source: Akron and Summit
County, Ohio 1825-1928 - Vol. II - Illustrated - Publ.
Chicago & Akron. The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co. -
1928 - Page 394 |
NOTES:
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