Background
Elbridge Thomas Gerry was a grandson of Elbridge Gerry and son of Hannah Green (Goelet) and Thomas Russell Gerry, an officer in the United States navy. He was born on December 25, 1837, in New York City.
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Elbridge Thomas Gerry
Edit ProfileEducation
Gerry's early education was obtained privately, his parents being in affluent circumstances, and, on the death of his father, when he was yet a child, his mother devoted herself to his upbringing, the influence which she was thus able to exercise having a marked effect on his later career.
Entering Columbia College in 1853, he there made a reputation as an epicure, athlete, and scholar and graduated in 1857 with honors. He then read law in the office of William Curtis Noyes and on his admission to the bar in 1860 commenced practise in New York City, associating himself with Noyes and later with Judge W. F. Allen and Benjamin Vaughan Abbott.
Career
In 1867, Gerry was elected a delegate to the New York state constitutional convention, where, though not specially identified with any outstanding projects for reform, he took a prominent part in the proceedings.
In 1870, induced thereto by Henry Bergh, he became legal adviser to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
The nature of the work which this position entailed appealed strongly to his humanitarian instincts, and he applied himself with ardor to the task of surmounting the legal and other difficulties which beset the pioneer stages of the Society.
In 1874, a pitiable case of cruelty to a child was brought to the attention of Bergh and Gerry and it was disclosed that abused children had not then as much protection as animals, since there was no special organization or government department to see that their rights were enforced.
This discovery led to the institution, December 15, 1874, of the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children - the first of its kind in the world - incorporation of which was obtained in 1875, Gerry attending to the required formalities, including enabling legislation.
In 1879, he became president, and for the following twenty-two years molded the policy and directed the activities of the Society to such an extent that it was popularly described as “Gerry’s Society. ”
All the various phases of child rescue, children’s shelters, prosecution of offenders, and caring for juvenile delinquents, were exhaustively studied by him; and the immensity and intricacy of the work was such that he gradually withdrew from law practise and devoted himself almost entirely to the interests of the Society.
He had to contend with bitter opposition from unexpected quarters, his interference in what were described as purely family matters was resented, even his motives were misrepresented.
In 1902, he compiled a Manual of the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. Despite his preoccupation with child welfare, his services were requisitioned in other fields of social endeavor and reform.
In 1886, he acted as chairman of the commission appointed by the New York legislature to consider the most humane and practical method of carrying into effect the sentence of death in capital cases, which resulted in the substitution of the electric chair for hanging.
In 1892, he was chairman of the New York City commission to consider the best way of caring for the insane. Among other positions of public trust which he held were those of trustee of the General Theological Seminary, 1913; governor of New York Hospital, 1912, and trustee of the American Museum of Natural History, 1895-1902.
His later years were spent principally at Newport, Rhode Island.
Achievements
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Becoming standing counsel to the Society, Gerry procured the passage of much supplemental legislation extending the sphere of protection.
In addition to numerous Reports which were printed in the publications of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, he contributed articles on humanitarian and fraternal subjects to the North American Review and Purple and Gold.
Personality
Gerry was described in print and pictured in cartoon as bent on destroying the dearest rights of every citizen. He was represented as a zealot who would tear children from their parents merely to gratify an officious and meddlesome disposition”.
He never wavered, however, in the pursuit of his ideals, cheerfully shouldering the heavy financial obligations involved, and when he relinquished office in 1901 the Society was recognized as one of the most effective agents for good in the country, and organizations of a similar nature had been established throughout the world.
Interests
Connections
On December 3, 1867, Gerry was married to Louisa Mathilda, daughter of Robert J. and Louisa M. (Storm) Livingston of New York.
- Father:
- Thomas Russell Gerry
- Mother:
- Hannah Green Goelet
- Grandfather:
- Elbridge Gerry
- Wife:
- Louisa Matilda Livingston Gerry
- Daughter:
- Angelica L Gerry
- Son:
- Peter Goelet Gerry
- Son:
- Robert Livingston Gerry
8 December 1794 - 8 October 1848
1804 - October 1845
1836 - 26 March 1920
29 May 1871 - 3 November 1960
18 September 1879 - 31 October 1957
1877 - 1957
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Born
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Died
February 18, 1927 (aged 89) -
Nationality
United States