!Graduated from Yale in 1787, and in 1790 he moved to the Genesee country of western New York. He purchased a large tract of land in what is now the town ofGeneseo, NY. He was one of the wealthiest land proprietors in the state. He printed and circulated at his own expense, publications on the subject of education; employed persons to lecture on that topic, and offered premiums to the towns which first established school libraries. As early as 1811, he proposed theinstituting of normal schools. He procured the enactment of the school law library in 1838; founded a library and institution for scientific lectures at Geneseo, and endowed it with $10,000, and in his sales of land always stipulated that a tract of 125 acres in each township should be granted free for a church,and another of the same size for a school. His donations to the causes of education and religion exceeded $90,000. (Taken from Appleton's New Encylopedia.)