William Gurley

Background

Gurley was born in Troy, New York, March 16, 1821, the son of Ephraim and Clarissa (Sharp) Gurley.

Education

He received the best education afforded by the schools in this vicinity, and choosing the profession of a civil engineer, attended the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, from which he graduated in 1839.

Career

He worked as a surveyor for a few years and then joined the firm of Oscar Hanks, who was a well-known maker of surveying instruments and church bells in Troy. He worked for Hanks for five years. Phelps had had his own shop since 1838.

They called the business Phelps & Gurley.

In 1844, William Gurley"s brother Lewis Ephraim Gurley joined Phelps" shop as an apprentice and he then attended Union College from 1847 to 1851. Lewis Gurley rejoined the firm in 1851, at which point it was renamed Phelps and Gurleys.

In 1852, Phelps sold out his interest and the business was renamed West.& L.E. Gurley. The firm still exists today as Gurley Precision Instruments.

William Gurley was involved in several local organizations.

Foreign many years he was connected with the Young Men’s Christian Association, and in 1851 was elected its president He served as alderman from 1860 to 1864, and as fire commissioner he helped to improve fire prevention systems in major cities. In 1868, he was appointed by the Secretary of the Treasury to serve on a commission with Professor

Joseph Henry and other scientific experts to examine the best meter devised for determining the products of distillation, to be subsequently adopted by the department.

Gurley was a long-time trustee of Rensselaer, having been elected to that position in 1855. He was secretary of the institution from 1861 to 1872, vice-president from 1872 to 1887 and acting president from 1886 to 1887.

He died on January 11, 1887 in Troy. The West. & L. East. Gurley Building in Troy was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1983.

Membership

He was a member of the New York State Assembly (Rensselaer Company, 1st Doctorate) in 1867.

Connections

Partner:

James Phelps