Albin Putzker (1848–1923): First Chair of German Department at Cal; Spoke 27 Languages

  

Plot 26, Lot 125

Albin Putzker was a pioneering linguist, educator, and long-time professor of German at the University of California, Berkeley. Born in Austria, Putzker received his early education in Europe before emigrating to the United States at age nineteen. After further study in the East, he became affiliated with Santa Barbara College as president. In 1874, he was appointed as the first official professor of German language at UC Berkeley. Ten years later, with the addition of another faculty member, a distinct German Department was formally established.

For more than four decades, Putzker shaped German studies at Berkeley. He served as department chair and emeritus chair for decades, overseeing the department’s early growth and guiding it through periods of controversy, including World War I, when the department was criticized for “alleged pro-German sentiments” of some faculty. His contributions extended beyond administration: he was widely recognized as an accomplished scholar, a polyglot with knowledge of 27 languages, and a respected lecturer both in the United States and Europe. His lecture on the German poet, writer and philosopher Friedrich Schiller was widely reported on in newspapers and periodicals.

Putzker gained particular prominence as the author of A Practical German Grammar, which became one of the most widely used textbooks for teaching German in American schools and universities. His reputation was such that about twenty years before his death he was offered the post of United States consul to Greece, owing to his fluency in Greek language and culture, though he declined the appointment to remain in academia.

Beyond the classroom, Putzker was active in community and cultural life. He was a member of Durant Lodge of Masons in Berkeley, the German Teachers’ Association, and the German Club in Oakland. He also built one of the earliest residences along Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley, at 2600 Telegraph Avenue, which became a landmark in the growing college town.

Bruno Putzker (1880-1899)

Putzker’s family life was touched by both distinction and tragedy. He and his wife Caroline raised several children, including Bruno Lane Putzker, who enlisted in the U.S. Army during the Spanish-American War. Bruno was mortally wounded during an assault in Manila on February 12, 1899, and died days later, becoming one of Berkeley’s young war dead. 

In his final years, Putzker retired from Berkeley but remained a noted figure in the academic world. He suffered declining health following the death of his wife in January 1923, and on May 1, 1923, he died at Temple Hospital in Berkeley at the age of 79. His funeral was held under the auspices of the Masons at the Berkeley Masonic Temple.

Sources: Find a Grave, San Francisco Call, Oakland Tribune, University of California at Berkeley website, Berkeley Architectural Heritage Assoc.

Cleveland Valrey (1930-2023): Highly Decorated and Groundbreaking War Hero

Cleveland Valrey (Photo right, East Bay Times)

Mausoleum Sec. 80, Tier 4

Cleveland Valrey’s military career spanned more than three decades and two major wars, marking him as one of the most accomplished and groundbreaking soldiers of his generation. 

Born with a determination to serve, Valrey enlisted in the Army Air Forces as a teenager before joining the U.S. Army in 1949. Early in his career, he became part of a historic unit: the first all-Black, 2nd Ranger Infantry Company (Airborne), which fought with distinction during the Korean War. On May 20, 1951, Valrey was wounded during heavy fighting on Hill 581, a testament to his bravery under fire. After recovering in Japan, he rejoined his unit and returned to combat.

Valrey’s career later took flight when he transitioned into Army aviation. Over the years, he logged more than 10,500 flight hours, including 2,100 hours in combat and 4,200 hours as an instructor pilot and instrument examiner. His skill carried him through multiple aircraft, from helicopters like the H-21 and H-34 to fixed-wing planes. He served with Special Forces in the Dominican Republic, flew command missions in Vietnam, and supported units across Southeast Asia at the height of the war.

His decorations reflect the breadth of his service: the Purple Heart, Bronze Star with Valor, four Distinguished Flying Crosses, 50 Air Medals (one with Valor), and countless campaign stars. These honors underscore a career spent not only in combat but also in leadership, mentorship, and innovation within the Army’s aviation branch.

For his extraordinary contributions, Cleveland Valrey earned induction into two of the Army’s most prestigious circles of honor. He was welcomed into the Ranger Hall of Fame, recognizing his ground-combat heroism and trailblazing role with the 2nd Ranger Company. Later, his pioneering achievements in flight and training secured his place in the Army Aviation Hall of Fame in 2001.

These honors carry added weight because African American soldiers remain severely underrepresented in both halls. Despite the 2nd Ranger Company’s historic role in Korea and the long service of Black aviators, only a handful have ever been recognized at this level. Valrey’s dual induction is therefore not only a personal triumph but also a milestone in the ongoing effort to honor the contributions of Black soldiers who often served in the shadows of history.

Cleveland Valrey stands as a rare figure who excelled both as an elite ground soldier and as a master aviator, breaking barriers in two of the Army’s most demanding professions. His story, spotlighted on PBS’s National Memorial Day Concert in 2021, ensures that future generations will remember him not just as a soldier, but as a trailblazer whose service bridged eras, branches, and battlefields.

Sources: Warrant Officer History, Veteran Affairs News, Fort Benning, YouTube, Wikipedia, East Bay Times
 

Hubert Augustus Caldwell (1907–1972): Hall of Fame Olympic Rowing Gold Medalist

Hubert Caldwell and his Family Crypt

Main Mausoleum Section 8, M8J 

Oakland-born Hubert Caldwell was an American rower and Olympic champion who rose to prominence as a member of the University of California, Berkeley crew team during the late 1920s. University and Collegiate Rowing 

Caldwell was part of the University of California, Berkeley Class of 1929 and a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. As an oarsman on Cal’s varsity crew, he competed under the legendary coach Ky Ebright, whose program established the Golden Bears as one of the leading rowing powers in the United States. 

In 1928, Caldwell helped lead the California crew to victory in the national championship, cementing their place as the premier collegiate team in the country. That triumph secured their selection to represent the United States at the Olympic Games. 1928 Amsterdam Olympics 

1928 US Men's Rowing Team (NY Times)

At the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam, Caldwell rowed in the men’s eight as part of the California crew representing the United States. The team won the gold medal, a victory that underscored the dominance of American collegiate crews on the international stage. That same year, they also claimed the U.S. National Championship title. 

His contributions to the sport of rowing were honored with induction into the Helms Athletic Foundation Hall of Fame, recognizing his place among the great American oarsmen. The Foundation was created in Los Angeles in 1936 to celebrate and promote amateur athletics and sportsmanship across the United States.

Following his athletic achievements, Caldwell built a professional career with the United States Steel Company, where he worked for 22 years. 

Sources: New York Times, Oakland Tribune, Find a Grave,  

Monte Upshaw (1936–2017): Legendary Cal Bears track star

 

Long Jumper Monte Upshaw

Plot 71

Monte Upshaw’s name became synonymous with track and field excellence from his early days at Piedmont High School through his record-setting career at the University of California, Berkeley. A prodigious talent, he burst onto the national scene in 1954 when, as a high school senior, he broke Jesse Owens’ national prep long jump record with a leap of 25 feet, 4¼ inches—a mark that stood as a high school milestone for years. He was twice named Northern California Prep Athlete of the Year and served as student body president before graduating in 1954.

Grave marker of Monte Upshaw

At Cal, competing under legendary coach Brutus Hamilton, Upshaw quickly established himself as one of the Golden Bears’ brightest stars. As a freshman in 1955, he set the Cal frosh records in the long jump (24’6”) and the 220-yard hurdles (23.8), and joined teammates Leamon King, John Merchant, and Don Bowden to set a national collegiate freshman sprint relay record of 3:20.9. Although a knee injury curtailed his long jump career, Upshaw went on to excel in sprints, hurdles, and relays. In 1958, as a senior, he teamed with Jack Yerman, Willie White, and Bowden to set a world record in the sprint medley relay with a time of 3:18.8.

Beyond his athletic feats, Upshaw embodied the spirit of Cal athletics. He was enshrined in the Cal Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007, and the "Upshaw Family Long Jump" at the annual Brutus Hamilton Invitational at Edwards Stadium honors his family’s multi-generational contributions to Golden Bear track & field. His daughter, Grace Upshaw, became a three-time U.S. champion, two-time Olympian in the long jump, and a Cal Hall of Fame inductee in 2014. Daughter Joy Upshaw served as an assistant coach for the Bears, while granddaughters Sunny and Windy continued the family legacy as Cal student-athletes.

Monte Upshaw running track

A lifelong supporter of Cal, Upshaw founded and chaired the Friends of Cal Track & Field organization and served as president of the Big C Society. His teammates and friends remembered him as much for his generosity and character as for his world-class performances. Don Bowden, the first American to break the four-minute mile, recalled: “Monte will always have a special place in our tower of memories. Although his athletic accomplishments were numerous and world-class, he will also be remembered as a great human being, a teammate always there for you, and a friend for life.”

Monte Upshaw passed away on July 26, 2017, at the age of 81 due to complications from Parkinson’s disease. 

Sources: Univ of CA/Berkeley Sports Hall of Fame, SFGate, East Bay Times, Find a Grave 

Charitie Bancroft deCheney (1841-1923): Irish-American Hymn Writer

Charitie Bancroft and her most famous hymn

Plot 52B, Lot 119

Charitie Lees Smith—better known in hymnals as the author of Before the Throne of God Above—was born in Dublin, Ireland on 21 June 1841, the daughter of Reverend George Sidney Smith and Charlotte Lees. Her father served in several Church of Ireland parishes and as a canon of Derry Cathedral, while also holding a professorship at Trinity College Dublin.

From a young age Charitie displayed a gift for religious verse, and her hymns were soon published in leading collections across the British Isles. Her most enduring contribution is the hymn Before the Throne of God Above (originally titled The Advocate, 1863), which remains widely sung today. In 1867 she published a collection of poetry, Within the Veil and Other Sacred Poems.

The group Selah, a renowned contemporary Christian vocal trio from Nashville, released their version of “Before the Throne of God Above” on their album Hiding Place on May 25, 2004. This hymn features lyrics written by Bancroft, but with a modern melody composed by Vikki Cook—a setting that has gained widespread popularity in contemporary worship.

In 1869, Charitie married Arthur E. Bancroft, a naval officer from Liverpool, at St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church in Edinburgh. The marriage lasted until Arthur’s death in 1881, leaving her widowed at forty. 

A decade later, Charitie remarried in San Francisco on 1 June 1891, taking as her husband Frank de Cheney (also spelled De Chenez), a man thirty years her junior. Their unusual age gap attracted notice, and Frank would later describe the marriage as a “sympathy affair”—claiming that he had been recovering from illness and that Charitie’s kindness during that period led him to wed her.

The marriage proved stormy. According to Frank, Charitie urged him to abandon San Francisco for Moss Beach, hoping to keep him “away from the temptations of a large city.” When he refused, he said, she left him in 1901 for Southern California. By 1912 he had filed for divorce in San Francisco, and by 1915 the case had reached Reno’s district courts. The Reno Gazette-Journal covered the matter with sensational flair, noting her reputation as a “social queen in her younger days” and reveling in gossip about her age difference with Frank, who was known as a gambler and mining speculator in Nevada.

On 28 May 1915, Judge R. C. Stoddard granted Frank’s divorce petition on grounds of desertion. Charitie did not contest the suit and told him there was “no possibility of reconciliation.” Within a month Frank married his third wife, Iris Irene Pawinker, while Charitie returned quietly to her religious and charitable work.

Settling in Oakland, California, Charitie involved herself in prison reform and transitional housing for former inmates. Despite the turbulence of her personal life, she remained committed to ministry and poetry.

She died in Oakland on 20 June 1923, just one day shy of her 82nd birthday. She was by then known as Charitie de Cheney, but her reputation rests on the hymns she composed as Charitie Lees Smith Bancroft—a body of work that continues to inspire Christian worship nearly two centuries later.

Arthur White Greeley (1875–1904): Ichthyologist who died tragically young

Arthur Greeley and a pufferfish named in his honor

Plot 43, Lot 53

Arthur White Greeley, born June 13, 1875, in Oswego, New York, emerged as a promising American physiologist and ichthyologist whose career, though short, left a lasting mark on early marine biology and zoology.

Greeley was the eldest son of Frank Norton Greeley, a Congregational clergyman, and Anna Cheney (Buckhout) Greeley. His younger brother, William, later became Chief Forester of the U.S. Forest Service. 

He graduated from Stanford University in 1898, where he quickly distinguished himself in zoological studies. Pursuing graduate research, he joined two notable expeditions: a fur-seal expedition to Alaska and the Banner‑Agassiz expedition to Brazil, during which he collected a variety of important biological specimens.

Greeley taught briefly at the San Diego Normal School (now San Diego State University) before entering the University of Chicago as a physiology fellow. Under the mentorship of Jacques Loeb, he earned his Ph.D. with a doctoral thesis on the effects of low temperatures on microorganisms. He was then appointed Assistant Professor of Zoology at Washington University in St. Louis.

Grave and Sea Slug named in his honor

During summer sessions, he contributed to the staff of the Marine Biological Laboratory at Woods Hole in Massachusetts, teaching physiology—a testament to his growing reputation in academic circles.

Greeley described several new sculpin species, including the saddleback, rosy, fluffy, and bald sculpins. His legacy endures through species named in his honor.    

Genus: Greeleya  

Species: Sphoeroides greeleyi (pufferfish), Diaulula greeleyi (sea slug), Crassispira greeleyi (sea snail)

Tragically, Greeley's promising career was cut short when he died in St. Louis on March 15,1904, at just 28 years old, following an operation for appendicitis. 

 

 

Andrew Derby Smith (1863-1915): Helped Establish California Insurance Department

Grave of Andrew D. Smith and headshot

 Plot 6

Andrew Derby Smith was a prominent figure in early 20th-century Oakland, remembered for his civic leadership, business success, and commitment to the community. Born in 1863 in Newburyport, Massachusetts, Smith moved west in his youth and eventually made Oakland his permanent home.  

Smith first established himself in the wholesale produce trade and shipping, but he became best known for his work in insurance. He rose to prominence as one of California’s leading insurance executives and advocates, working tirelessly to bring professionalism and regulation to the industry. Recognizing the need for a more accountable and transparent system, Smith played an instrumental role in shaping the creation of the California Insurance Department, which provided oversight and consumer protections in a field that had previously been loosely regulated.

As a respected leader in this emerging sector, Smith was a strong advocate for ethical standards in business, fair treatment of policyholders, and the stability of insurance companies. His work helped build public trust in insurance at a time when California was experiencing both population growth and economic expansion.

California’s insurance oversight was originally organized as the Insurance Department within state government. Its purpose was to regulate insurance companies, ensure solvency, and protect policyholders. The head of this agency became known as the Insurance Commissioner. At first, the position was appointed, but in 1988 voters passed Proposition 103, which made the Insurance Commissioner an elected statewide office beginning in 1991. 

Smith also served as president of the Oakland Chamber of Commerce, where he promoted the city as a growing commercial hub on the Pacific Coast. He championed infrastructure improvements, economic development, and civic beautification projects, aligning with Oakland’s aspirations to establish itself as a modern metropolis distinct from San Francisco.

Smith was also active in fraternal and charitable organizations, including the Masons, and lent his time and resources to philanthropic causes. 

Smith married Fanny Derby, with whom he raised a family in Oakland. His sudden death on May 11, 1915, at the age of 52, was widely mourned across the city. The Oakland Tribune and other newspapers remembered him as a man of integrity, generosity, and vision. 

Source: California State Department of Insurance, Find a Grave, Oakland Tribune

 

Natasha Borovsky (1924-2012): Russian-American poet and novelist; American Book Award winner

Grave marker of Natasha Borovsky

Plot 49A

Natasha Borovsky (born Nataliya Alexandrovna Borovskaya) was a Russian-American poet and novelist. She is best known for her two sweeping historical novels, A Daughter of the Nobility (1985) and Lost Heritage (1995), which explore the upheavals of 20th-century Europe. Borovsky’s work often centers on the shattering effects of war on aristocratic families and the decline of the old European nobility. Her writing, informed by her own émigré background, also touches on themes of exile and cultural identity as experienced by displaced European elites.

Borovsky was born in Paris to a family of distinguished heritage. Her father was Alexander Borovsky, a renowned Russian concert pianist, and her mother, Maria Sila-Nowicki, was of Polish and Russian noble descent. As a child, Natasha spent summers and winters at her maternal family’s estate near Kazimierz Dolny in Poland, while also attending schools in Germany, Switzerland, and France. In 1940, at the outset of World War II, the advance of Nazi Germany forced the family to flee France. Borovsky emigrated with her mother to the United States, seeking safety from the war’s destruction. Settling in New York, she pursued higher education at Sarah Lawrence College for two years. Thanks to her extraordinary gift for languages (she was fluent in multiple European tongues), Borovsky was hired during the war as a translator for the CBS “Listening Post,” where she transcribed and translated wartime broadcasts from around the world. She later worked for the U.S. Office of War Information in New York City and for the Hoover Institution’s library in postwar Paris, roles that deepened her engagement with historical research. Borovsky eventually settled in California; she married Stuart Dodds, an editor at the San Francisco Chronicle, and made her home in Berkeley. 

Originally published in 1985, A Daughter of the Nobility is Borovsky’s most acclaimed novel. It is an epic historical saga that follows the life of Tatyana Silomirskaya, a young Russian aristocrat (and goddaughter of Tsar Nicholas II) who witnesses the cataclysmic events that transform Russia in the early 20th century. Through Tatyana’s privileged yet tumultuous vantage point, the novel spans major upheavals from the Russo-Japanese War and the 1905 Revolution to World War I, the fall of the Romanov dynasty in 1917, and the subsequent turmoil of civil war. Borovsky drew heavily on her own family’s imperial Russian background to imbue the narrative with rich historical detail and authenticity. Reviewers praised the panoramic scope and historical accuracy of the novel, although some criticized the characterization as melodramatic or stereotypical.

Upon release, A Daughter of the Nobility enjoyed international success. It was translated into ten languages, including Russian and Polish, and became a best-seller in several countries. The novel’s broad appeal stemmed from its vivid depiction of a bygone aristocratic world swept away by war and revolution, as well as its dramatic personal story of love and loss amid historical chaos. In 1986 Borovsky received an American Book Award for this work, recognizing it as a notable contribution to American literature by an immigrant author. Decades later, A Daughter of the Nobility remains the author’s signature achievement and a significant entry in the genre of historical fiction about Imperial Russia.  

Borovsky’s second novel, Lost Heritage, was published in 1995 as a continuation of the grand historical tapestry she began in her first book. Although not a direct sequel in terms of characters, Lost Heritage completes the saga by carrying the story of Europe’s aristocratic families into the mid-20th century. This expansive novel opens during the Russian Revolution of 1917 and concludes around the time of the Yalta Conference of 1945, thus encompassing the World War II era and its profound impact on European society. Borovsky herself described Lost Heritage as a stand-alone work that could be read independently, yet it clearly echoes the themes of its predecessor. The novel is notable for its unrivaled historical detail – Borovsky, determined to preserve the full scope of her vision, chose to publish it through her own imprint (Sila-Nova Press) rather than abridge the content to suit a commercial publisher. Lost Heritage revisits the decline of Europe’s old nobility under the pressures of war, totalitarianism, and exile, reflecting events that occurred within Borovsky’s own lifetime. While Lost Heritage did not attain the same level of popular renown as her first novel, it stands as an ambitious work of considerable depth and research, rounding out Borovsky’s contribution to historical fiction. 

In addition to her novels, Natasha Borovsky had a distinguished career as a poet. She wrote poetry throughout her life, often exploring philosophical and spiritual themes, and her verse was widely published in literary journals. Borovsky released several poetry collections that showcased her versatility and multicultural perspective. Her early collection Drops of Glass (1981) introduced readers to her poetic voice. This was followed over a decade later by Desert Spring (1993), a volume of poems accompanied by sketches by her daughter, artist Malou Dodds. In the mid-1990s she published Grasp the Subtle Lifeline, a collection of spiritual poems also illustrated by her daughter Malou. Borovsky’s poetry, like her fiction, often grapples with themes of dislocation, memory, and faith, reflecting the sensibilities of an exile straddling different cultures. She remained active in the literary community, giving poetry readings and lectures in her later years.  

Natasha Borovsky is remembered for her unique literary contributions that bridge continents and eras. Her writing earned formal recognition, most notably the 1986 American Book Award for A Daughter of the Nobility, honoring the novel’s achievement in capturing a diverse cultural experience. Throughout her career she received praise for preserving the history and heritage of European aristocracy through compelling narrative. Borovsky’s novels and poems serve as a chronicle of exile – by portraying noble families uprooted by war and revolution, she illuminated the human cost of political upheaval on those who lost their homeland and social position. As a Russian-born author who adopted the United States as her home, Borovsky brought an émigré’s insight into questions of cultural identity and belonging. Her works highlight the tension between the opulent world of pre-revolutionary Europe and the stark realities of the 20th century, often through the lens of characters who must reconcile their aristocratic upbringing with the demands of a changed world. This focus on the fate of displaced aristocrats, combined with her meticulous historical research, has made Borovsky’s literature a valuable source of understanding the personal side of history’s great upheavals. 

Sources: San Francisco Chronicle obituary (2012), Los Angeles Times review by Linda Simon (1985), Wikipedia entry on Natasha Borovsky, Natasha Borovsky’s profile on Goodreads, American Book Awards winners list (1986)

Dr. Paul “Buck” Samson (1905–1982): U.S. Olympic Swimmer and Polo Player; Noted Thoracic Surgeon

Image from Collegiate Water Polo Association

Plot 52D

Paul Curkeet “Buck” Samson was an American competition swimmer and water polo player who represented the United States at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. He was an elite collegiate swimmer for the University of Michigan, winning the NCAA 220-yard and 440-yard freestyle titles in 1927, as well as being a member of two national championship water polo teams. He was a recipient of the Big Ten Conference Medal of Honor in 1927 for excellence in scholarship and athletics

In 1928 he earned a place on the U.S. Olympic team, participating in both swimming and water polo. Samson swam in the men’s 4×200-meter freestyle relay. He swam for the U.S. team in the semifinal heat, helping set a world-record time of 9:38.8. The American relay went on to win the gold medal in the final with a different quartet (Austin Clapp, Walter Laufer, George Kojac, and Johnny Weissmuller) in a time of 9:36.2. Because Samson did not swim in the final race, he was not eligible to receive a medal under the Olympic rules of the time. In addition to swimming, Samson was also a member of the U.S. men’s water polo squad in Amsterdam. The American water polo team was eliminated in the quarter-finals by Hungary and thus finished outside the medals. 

1928 Olympic teammates: Buster Crabbe, George Kojac, Ray Ruddy, and Johnny Weissmuller

Samson was one of the few athletes in 1928 to compete in two different sports, alongside teammate Johnny Weissmuller. Weissmuller, already a multi-gold-medalist from 1924, also played on the 1928 water polo team, and he later became famous as a Hollywood actor portraying Tarzan in a series of films. Another of Samson’s 1928 swimming teammates was Clarence “Buster” Crabbe, who won a bronze medal in 1928 and a gold in 1932 and went on to a successful film career starring as Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers in 1930s adventure serials. 

Though Buck Samson did not match Weissmuller’s record-setting medal haul, he contributed to the U.S. team’s dominance with strong performances in relay events and national championships. Known for his quiet discipline and technical mastery, Samson often played the role of anchor in team relays and was respected for his tactical awareness in the pool.

After retiring from competitive swimming, Samson pursued medical studies, eventually becoming a surgeon. With the outbreak of World War II, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and served with distinction as a medical officer in the Pacific Theater, tending to wounded soldiers under harrowing conditions. In 1937, he moved to Oakland where he began a surgical practice. He gained the distinction of performing what was probably the first successful pneumonectomy in the overseas theater using the individual ligation technique.

Grave marker for Dr. Paul "Buck" Samson

Following the war, he returned to northern California to continue his thoracic surgery practice, specializing in the treatment of tuberculosis and empyema.  Samson started and directed the thoracic surgery training program at Highland General Hospital in Oakland, which was the first approved training service in thoracic surgery north of Los Angeles on the West Coast.

To honor him for his service to thoracic surgery, Samson’s close friends and colleagues founded the Samson Thoracic Surgical Society of Western North America in 1974 because they believed that such an honor was due him during his lifetime.  Following his death on February 10, 1982 at the age of 76, the Samson Thoracic Surgical Society was renamed The Western Thoracic Surgical Association in 1983 to achieve representation at the American College of Surgeons Board of Governors, which did not recognize societies named after an individual. Samson’s name, however, is preserved in the Samson Endowment Fund, the Samson prize for the best resident paper, and other activities of The Western Thoracic Surgical Association.

Sources: Collegiate Water Polo Association, Encyclopædia Britannica, Wikipedia, Find a Grave. Olympics.com, Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 

 

Edgar Harkness Gray (1813-1894): Officiated at Abraham Lincoln's Funeral

Gravestone of Rev. Edgar Gray

Plot 38, Lot 10

Edgar Harkness Gray was born on November 28, 1813, in Bridport, Vermont. He pursued theological studies and graduated from Waterville College (now Colby College) in 1838.

Gray became a prominent Baptist minister in Washington, D.C., serving as pastor of the E Street Baptist Church. In the wake of the Civil War, he was appointed Chaplain of the United States Senate, a post he held from 1865 to 1869 . In this role, he offered spiritual guidance during a critical era of American history and led prayers and devotional services within the Senate chamber.

Following President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination in April 1865, Rev. Gray was among the four clergymen selected to officiate at Lincoln's funeral services in Washington, D.C. His presence reflected the high esteem in which he was held by the nation’s leaders and his influence on public life.  

After completing his term as U.S. Senate chaplain (1865–1869), Gray emigrated west. He became the first pastor of the Baptist church in San Francisco, later serving in Oakland, where he also held roles such as Superintendent of Baptist Churches in California and Dean of Oakland Theological Seminary. 

Sources: Wikipedia, Find A Grave, US Senate