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Canadian History
Samuel Woods


M. A., Ottawa, the subject of this sketch, was born in the County of Tyrone, Ireland, on the 14th October, 1841. He is the youngest son of William Woods, by Martha, nee Henderson. Both these parents were of old covenanting stock, and were among the Protestant immigrants from Scotland who settled Ulster. Our subject was educated at the London, Ont., Grammar School, and at University College, Toronto, where the gold meal in classics was awarded to him in 1862. Among his classmates, it may be mentioned, were Prof. J. Loudon, the late Principal Buchan, Dr. James A. McLellan, Rev. Dr. Gibson, of London, Eng., and James Fisher, of Stratford. Excellent school and college editions of portions of Demosthenes, Virgil, Horace and Caesar have been published by him, and have long been standard classics in our institutions of learning. Mr. Wood was a member of the University Rifle Company first formed during the Trent excitement, and he subsequently took a certificate at the Kingston Military School. He was rector of the Kingston Collegiate Institute, from 1862 to 1877, erecting for this institution a provincial reputation in the department of classics, and ranking it one of only four in the first class of Ontario. After this time he engaged in business for a few years, then unanimously, and without solicitation upon his own part, he was appointed principal of the Lake Forest Academy, Ill. This situation he held for two years, resigning in June, 1883. He was then, at the urgent request of the Board of Managers of the Ottawa Ladies' College, induced to accept the principalship of the college. In this excellent institution he is carrying out those ideas of education, which he has so long held and advocated, and is rapidly acquiring a very high place for his college. Mr. Woods was the originator of the Ontario Building and Saving Society of Kingston; was one of the original directors of the Kingston Street Railway Company, and he reorganized the present very successful Kingston Mechanics' Institute, of which he was president. Of this latter institution he is now one of the three life members, the others being the Right Hon. Sir John A. Macdonald, K. C. B., and John Carruthers. He was the originator and for four years president of the Irish Protestant Benevolent Society of Kingston. He is likewise vice-president of the Ottawa Field Naturalists' Club, and a member of the Senate of the University of Toronto. In the Masonic order he is P. D. D. G. M., having held that position, in 1876, in the St. Lawrence district, and is a charter member of the Minden Lodge, Kingston, and was a member of ancient St. John's, but demitted. In religion, Mr. Wood is a member of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, and belonged to the old kirk branch of that united church. He married on March, 1863, Elizabeth, third daughter of Wm. Ford, Kingston. She died in Oct., 1884, leaving four children surviving her. Our subject has always been a liberal Conservative in politics, but seldom takes any active part in any contest. He is a man of a strongly original mind, firm convictions, untiring industry, and marked energy. The institution of which he is the head, reflects the strongest possible credit upon him.


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