Lick Wilmerding High School - Commencement Yearbook (San Francisco, CA)

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QI at f ma f it zttfit' Ig, 015132 jfuunhing uf the wilmerhing Qnhuul 1 -i- His is the third of a series of articles having . to do with the founding of the Lick, XVilmer- . -ssifixv ding and Lux Schools. The previous ones have referred to the Lick School. While Mr. Lick was one of the best known characters among the early Californians, Mr. NVilmerding's name, on the contrary, seldom appeared in print. ln business circles he was known as J. C. Vllilmerding, and few of his associates knew that the HJ. Cf, stood for Jillis Clute. By his intimate friends he was called Clute Nllilmerding. As these names would indicate, he came from stock that included the early Dutch Settlers of New York. 'i - -'- '-'l He was born in Moscow, Livingston County, New J- f'- WILMPIRDTNG York, on April 28, 1833, and was educated at Temple Hill Academy, Genesee, N. Y. During the excitement following the discovery of gold in California two of his cousins de- cided to sail for the new El Dorado, and Clute obtained his father 's consent to accompany them as a partner. They chartered the schooner Samuel M. Fox and sailed from New York on March 21, 1849, reaching San Francisco on September 21, 1849. They put up their tent on the beach at a spot about where the Bank of Cali- fornia now stands-California and Sansome streets. The enterprise was not successful and Clute found himself far from home without any money. He then went to the mines, but was too young to do more than make a scant living there. Being ashamed to go back to New York a failure, he returned to San Francisco with a determination to work and save enough money to repay the five thousand dollars which his father had advanced to him. This he succeeded in doing, taking the fathcr's receipts for the full amount, with interest. In addition to the amount which he had paid his father, he had saved a few thousand dollars and intended to go back to the mines and start a store. He missed the boat, which was to have taken him to Sacramento, and as there was but one boat a week, he was going back from the wharf to his lodging wondering what he would do next, when he chanced to meet Mr. Calvin Fargo, whom he knew slightly and who offered him a position as salesman. Although it was on this chance meeting that the foundation of his fortune was laid, there is no doubt that the subsequent superstructure of his success as a merchant and a financier was the product of his own efforts. Into Mr. Fargo 's business he brought those same sturdy and sterling qualities by which he had over- come adversity and redeemed his obligations to his father. NVithin a few years he was given an interest in the business, and after Mr. Fargo 's retirement Mr. Wilmerding became the senior party and principal owner. A considerable measure of his success was due, also, to his pleasing person- ality. XVithout an exception those of his acquaintance whom I have met have made mention of his genial and sympathetic nature as an outstanding charac- teristic. To his amiability, no doubt, can be traced the interest taken in the llPage 611

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.31 3-L'ml1'3L3!.ifB Ig, JANUARY 27, 18-11 JANUARY 11, 1.928 nARI,1is A. MURDOCK was elected a Trustee of the California School of Me- chanical Arts, May 4, 1900, succeeding A. S. Hallidie, one of the original group named by James Lick, and remained on the Board until his death, which occurred January 11, 1928. ln the newspaper notices following his death, emphasis was placed on the public offices which he had filled with an outstanding record of ability and integrity, but he was even more devoted to the affairs of literature, education, religion and philanthropy. Born in Massachusetts, he spent the latter part of his youth in Humboldt County, California, where he completed his school- ing, did some teaching, learned the printer's trade, published a newspaper, served as Register of the U. S. Land Office, and represented the county in the State legislature. Later he removed to San Francisco, where he established the printing firm hearing his name-a firm that became known for its admir- ahle code of business ethics. Here, too, he became prominent in civic affairs, and served at times on the Board of Education and on the Board of Super- visors. He was also active in the Work of numerous philanthropic organ- izations, and was particularly interested in the Boys' Aid Society, of which he was one of the founders. lle belonged to the group of literary printers that included Bret Harte, Mark Twain. and other California celebritie.s. Having outlived these con- temporaries, he was frequently called on to tell about them. He served for forty years or so as Superintendent of the Sunday school of the Unitarian Church of this city, and published the Pacific Unitarian, a monthly magazine in which his editorials were models of literary composition and were widely noticed for their spirit of tolerance. In them, as in the council room, he expressed his opinions clearly and courageously, but never in a controversial manner. VVithout the complete composure by which he was characterized he could not have carried such a continuous load of work and responsibility and live to the age of eighty-seven. Our school is proud to have had a place in his abundant life. lIPage ill

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QI irfwfirzrife Ig, early work of the school by his intimate friends, and more recently by the last survivor of them, Richard Varick Dey, who bequeathed to us Sf1200,000 as a token of his affection for Mr. Vliilmerding. Mr. Wilmer-ding died at San Francisco on February 20, 1894, leaving to the Regents of the University of California the sum of SB400,000 with which To establish and maintain a school, to be called tThe XVilmerding School of lndus- trial Artsl, to teach boys trades, fitting them to make a living with their hands, with little study and plenty of workw. He had thought of placing the funds in the hands of the trustees of the Lick School, and had conferred with Horace Davis, President of the Lick Board, in the matter, to make sure that it could be legally administered by them, but knowing that his strength was failing fast and fearing to delay the signing of his will, he named the Regents of the University as trustees. There is a law in California which provides that a bequest for such a purpose cannot be carried out unless the will containing it was executed at least thirty days before the death of the person making the will, Mr. lVilmerding, knowing of this law, and being anxious that nothing should prevent his wish from being carried out, placed in the hands of Mr. Thomas J. Lamb this private secretaryj and Mr. Nlfilliam Alvord, both of whom were named as executors in the will, bonds of the value of SlS400,000 and told them, if anything should happen to him within thirty days from the mak- ing of his will, those bonds were to be given to the Regents, to endow the school. His determination to establish a school of this kind was prompted by the bitter experience that followed his arrival in California. Having left home at. the age of sixteen, he had no opportunity to acquire a trade, and the need of one was sorely impressed on him whenever he recalled the helpless condition in which he found himself when his youthful business venture failed. So he always took a lively interest in boys-though he never had any of his own, having remained a bachelor. Perhaps his early hardships in California, coming on him so suddenly, made him look with greater fondness on the scenes and pleasures of his interrupted boyhood. At all events, whether walking on the street or driving along in his carriage, he would frequently stop to watch groups of boys at play, or to converse with them about their prospects, and sometimes give them good advice-or something more substantial, if needed. XVhat a marvelous school it would be, if every boy in it would imbibe some of the spirit of the Founder! GEORGE A. M RRRILL. GSJQTJQZQ IlPagc 711