Strangers – Today

Mr. Tucker

Mr. Tucker was a visitor from Barbados. The Record of Strangers indicates that he visited the Athenaeum with Mr. Waldron, also of Barbados.

Mr. Waldron

Mr. Waldron was a visitor from Barbados. The Record of Strangers indicates that he visited the Athenaeum with Mr. Tucker, also of Barbados.

Reuben Hyde Walworth, October 26, 1788 — November 27, 1867

Reuben Hyde Walworth was an American jurist and politician. He studied law and established a practice in Plattsburgh, New York by 1810. Walworth briefly suspended his practice to serve in the War of 1812, where he obtained the rank of colonel. He returned to law following the war, and entered politics with his election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1821. Walworth served until 1823 and in 1828 was appointed Chancellor of New York, the highest judicial office in the state. He held the position until it was abolished amidst a reorganization of the state's judicial system in 1847. The Record of Strangers indicates that Walworth visited the Athenaeum multiple times while he was Chancellor. Later in his career, Walworth was an unsuccessful candidate for the governorship of New York, and served as a special master for the U.S. Supreme Court.

Silhouette courtesy of Smithsonian Open Access — Source — Source — Source

J. Edgar Thomson, February 10, 1808 — May 27, 1874

J. Edgar Thomson was a civil engineer and later the President of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. Thomson was chief engineer for the Georgia Railroad from 1832 to 1847, and was responsible for the construction of the longest railroad line build by a single company up to that point. In 1847 he was hired by the Pennsylvania Railroad as chief engineer. He rose to the role of President by 1852, and was responsible for the construction of a line that crossed the Allegheny and Appalachian mountains to connect Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. He later expanded the railroad further west towards Chicago, and consolidated other area lines to further establish Philadelphia's position as a center for trade, commerce, and industry. The Record of Strangers indicates that Thomson visited the Athenaeum multiple times, both before and during his time with the Pennsylvania Railroad. Athenaeum records also indicate that he later became a shareholder, and is shown introducing other Strangers to the Athenaeum.

Portrait courtesy of Smithsonian Open Access — Source — Source — Source