Obituary

George Anson Hamilton (A´84, M´84, F´13, HM´33, and member for life) Elizabeth, N. J., died January 10, 1935. He was one of the 6 living charter members of the Institute, and the last surviving member of the original committee of 5 on organization. Mr. Hamilton was born at Cleveland, Ohio, December 30, 1843. He became interested in electricity, and built a small telegraph line for himself at Limaville, Ohio. In 1861 he became a messenger at Salem, Ohio, but 2 months later was made manager of the Ravenna office of the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad. Illness forced him to relinquish this position in 1863, but upon his recovery he went to Pittsburgh, Pa., as operator and manager of the Inland Company. Two years later he became manager of the office at Franklin, Pa., of the United States Telegraph Company, returning to Pittsburgh in 1866 as chief operator and circuit manager and remaining there until 1873 when the company was absorbed by the Western Union Telegraph Company. During 1873–75 he was assistant to Prof. Moses G. Farmer of Boston, Mass., who was engaged in the manufacture of general electrical apparatus and machinery and who later became an Honorary Member of the Institute. This work afforded him an opportunity to secure valuable practical knowledge of mechanics and to participate in many electrical experiments in telegraphy and other developments. In 1875 Mr. Hamilton was called to New York, N. Y., as assistant electrician to the Western Union Company. During the next 2 years, with Gerritt Smith, he participated in the establishment of the first quadruplex telegraph circuits to be put into operation, and with Mr. Smith was also the first to introduce the system in England. Upon his return to this country he carried out experiments preliminary to establishing the wheatstone high-speed automatic system in this country. In 1889 Mr. Hamilton accepted a position with the Western Electric Company, New York, N. Y., supervising the department for th- production of fine electrical instruments. He retired in 1909. In addition to having been a charter member of the Institute and active in its organization plans, he served as the Institute´s first vice president for the term 1884–86, and was a member of the first committees on editing and permanent quarters. From 1895 to 1930 he served the Institute as national treasurer, and in 1933 was elected an Honorary Member. He was a member of the Edison medal committee 1908–30, and of the executive committee 1914–30. Mr. Hamilton was a member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers (Great Britain), Societe Francaise des Electriciens, Societe Frangaise de Physique, and Societe Beige d´Astronomic