The Holland Society of New York - Yearbook (New York, NY)

Page 310 text:

254 of Justice. In 1898 and 1899 he Was lVIayO1' of Albany. He was elected to membership in the Holland Society March IO, 1898, and at the an- nual meeting in IQOI Was made Vice-President for Albany County, which oflice he held at the time of his death. He was also a prominent Free Mason, having been Master of Mt. Vernon Lodge, No. 3, F. 8a A. M., in 1858, and a member of the Albany Institute, Fort Orange Club, Philip Livingston Chapter, Sons of the Revolution, a life member of the Y. M. C. A., and prominent in the Emanuel Baptist Church. Judge Van Alstyne had been three times married. .His first Wife was Sarah, daughter.of R. Clappg his second Wife was N. Louisa, daughter of Samuel S. Peck, his third Wife, Laura Louisa, daughter of William Wurdemann. He leaves two sons, Thomas Butler Van Alstyne, a California fruit-grower, and William T. Van Alstyne, sixteen years of age, a son by his last Wife, who also survived him. The mayor of Albany ordered that Hags on the public buildings be placed at half-mast and the city hall bell tolled the years of his life. The mayor and heads of various departments attended the funeral, after adopting the following resolu- tions: In the death of Thomas Jefferson Van Alstyne the city of Albany loses a worthy Christian citizen. His life was .a busy. one, fraught with many public and philanthropic activities. In public office, as county judge, representa- tive in Congress and mayor, he discharged his obligations to the body politic in a painstaking and conscientious manner. We, the mayor and heads of municipal departments, meet to aclcnowledge the worth of Thomas jefferson Van Alstyneis citizenship, and do hereby resolve to attend his funeral in a body. , T . A 1 'It is further resolved that this memorial be spread upon the record of the meetings of heads of departments. .The members of the Albany County Bar Asso- Gwfwn 2'SSG111b1Gd in the Supreme Court room

Page 309 text:

253 12111.21 .ffm at vice in the field in Col. Marsh 's regl ment- Judge Van Alstyne, although over sevent 1 Sm, Years Of 3895 retained the robustness aiird Y. ea , 1S eyes were b ht, d 11 step elastic. Until his last illness liaegwas 32-tivelsf engaged in the legal profession and was known throughout the state for his legal attainments. At the age of thirteen he determined to acquire an' advanced education and became a student in the academy at Moravia. After a year in this academy and a further period at a select classical school he entered' the Hartwick Seminary and completed his preparation for Hamilton College, from which he graduated in 1848 with the degree of Bachelor of Arts, receiving the Master's degree in 1851. His standing in college was good, es- pecially in mathematics, and, in addition to the regular course, with a few others he took a private course in law under Theodore W. Dwight, sub- sequently the eminent head of the Columbia Law School. In 1848 he entered the oflice of Harris Sc Van Vorst and before the close of the year his diligence enabled him to pass ansatisfactory and successful examination for admission to the bar of the state. Until 1850 he continued as a student, after which he opened an office for himself, where he continued until 18 53, when he 106031116 3 Pafmef of Matthew McMahon, with whom he was assip- ciated for four years. Iin the.SP1'1118 Of 1853 he formed his association with Winfield S. Hevencir, which continued until broken by his deaghen 13 politics Judge Van Alstyne had always e staunch Democrat. In 1871 he Was. elected - ' , d h County I 11586 by a majority Wlldxlfhectifgcig until fellows on the same ticket.. H6 . 1882, introducing 11131137 reforms m lqcgiggfggoig of procedure. In that Year he Wah 'fttees on h h served on the Comrnr ere e gpgggrrssghgv on Expenditures of the Department

Page 311 text:

255 and paid their last tribute to his memory after gli? Ilirfsging had been called to order by William , as president, 11 y the sorrowful task in hand? dywillibiiri e 51? ilmgig of the able manner in which Judge Vai Alsiiiie hc-aid gicsshla-iii llgis responsible public positions. jpg, c was made chairma f th and spoke as follows: 'I n O e meeting It seems to me that in the death of Thomas J. Van Alstyne the strongest personality of the Albany County Bar Association has been removed.. My acquaintance with him dates back to the time when, after I began the prac- tice of law, I became located in an adjoining oflice where I had excellent opportunities to study his remarkable per- sonality, and up to the hour of his death our relations were always close and sometimes intimate. Strong mentally, strong morally and strong physically, there was no hypoc- risy in his nature and as time rolled on and I grew to understand him better I liked him more. A peculiarity in his nature which no doubt many of you have observed when we were assembled here on such sad occasions as these, was the tenderness with which he spoke in memory of those with whom he had had many conflictsin life. Of late years he has not been active in the practice of law, but his excellent record as a lawyer and judge are well known to all of us. He was warm in his friendships and would go far to serve them, as those who knew him best can testify. I-Ie was one of the few remaining practitioners who were here when I began my legal labors and it 1S Wlth an infinite feeling of sadness that I pay this impromptu tribute to his memory. The meeting then adopted the following TGSO' lutions: 1 We, as members of the Albany county bar, haw assembled to mourn the loss of one of our number- he announcement of the profound sorrow we have heard t U 5 . death of Thomas J. Van Alstyne and it is iittlrigf ligldall 'lie should pause amid the absorbing cares of da11Y 1 e 'O P Y a tribute of respect to his memory. 1 I as For more than half a century Jlldg? Van A Styfie W . . ll a prominent and respected citizen of this flltiflae 1312112556955 ' f 'ther actively engage in , p. . . tP?C?lf1ESg21ZTds1'elI1 the administration of Jllstlce m hls