Clinton B. Fisk
Encyclopedia
Clinton Bowen Fisk for whom Fisk University
is named, was a senior officer during Reconstruction in the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands
. He endowed Fisk University
with $30,000. In addition, he helped establish the first free public schools in the South for white and African-American children.
, Livingston County, New York
, the son of Benjamin and Lydia Fisk. As part of the 19th-century westward migration, his family soon moved to Coldwater, Michigan
. He studied in the preliminary course at Albion Seminary before becoming one of the five students to matriculate on the opening day of Michigan Central College (now Hillsdale College
) in 1844. Fisk later became a merchant, miller, and banker in Coldwater. He suffered financial disaster in the Panic of 1857
. He moved to St. Louis, Missouri
where he started working in the insurance business.
of the 33rd Missouri Infantry of the Union Army
on September 5, 1862. He organized a brigade and was commissioned brigadier general
November 24, 1862. He served most of the American Civil War
in Missouri and Arkansas
, commanding first the District of Southeast Missouri and later the Department of North Missouri. The primary duty of these commands was opposing raids into Missouri by Confederate States of America
cavalry and guerrillas.
and Tennessee
. He worked through the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands and the American Missionary Association
to establish the first free schools in the Southern United States
for both African-American and white children.
He made the abandoned barracks in Nashville, Tennessee
available to the American Missionary Association
for the creation of the Fisk School, and endowed it with a total of $30,000.
appointed him to the Board of Indian Commissioners
.
Fisk was a leader in the temperance movement
and became the presidential candidate for the Prohibition Party
in the United States presidential election, 1888
. He came in third with 249,506 votes. The election was won by Benjamin Harrison
of the Republican Party
. Fisk was also surpassed by the incumbent President of the United States
Grover Cleveland
of the Democratic Party
. But, Fisk did receive one of the highest results of any Prohibition Party candidate in history. The Party has run candidates in every presidential election since the United States presidential election, 1872
.
Fisk died in New York City on July 9, 1890, and was buried in Coldwater, Michigan.
Fisk University
Fisk University is an historically black university founded in 1866 in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. The world-famous Fisk Jubilee Singers started as a group of students who performed to earn enough money to save the school at a critical time of financial shortages. They toured to raise funds to...
is named, was a senior officer during Reconstruction in the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands
Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands
The Freedmen's Bureau, was a U.S. federal government agency that aided distressed freedmen in 1865–1869, during the Reconstruction era of the United States....
. He endowed Fisk University
Fisk University
Fisk University is an historically black university founded in 1866 in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. The world-famous Fisk Jubilee Singers started as a group of students who performed to earn enough money to save the school at a critical time of financial shortages. They toured to raise funds to...
with $30,000. In addition, he helped establish the first free public schools in the South for white and African-American children.
Early life
Fisk was born in YorkYork, New York
York is a town in western Livingston County, New York, United States. The population was 3,219 at the 2000 census.The Abbey of the Genesee in the town's hamlet of Piffard is locally famous due to the production of Monk's Bread.- History :...
, Livingston County, New York
Livingston County, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 64,328 people, 22,150 households, and 15,349 families residing in the county. The population density was 102 people per square mile . There were 24,023 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile...
, the son of Benjamin and Lydia Fisk. As part of the 19th-century westward migration, his family soon moved to Coldwater, Michigan
Coldwater, Michigan
Coldwater is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 10,945. It is the county seat of Branch County....
. He studied in the preliminary course at Albion Seminary before becoming one of the five students to matriculate on the opening day of Michigan Central College (now Hillsdale College
Hillsdale College
Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan, United States, is a co-educational liberal arts college known for being the first American college to prohibit in its charter all discrimination based on race, religion, or sex; its refusal of government funding; and its monthly publication, Imprimis...
) in 1844. Fisk later became a merchant, miller, and banker in Coldwater. He suffered financial disaster in the Panic of 1857
Panic of 1857
The Panic of 1857 was a financial panic in the United States caused by the declining international economy and over-expansion of the domestic economy. Indeed, because of the interconnectedness of the world economy by the time of the 1850s, the financial crisis which began in the autumn of 1857 was...
. He moved to St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
where he started working in the insurance business.
Civil War
An abolitionist, Fisk was appointed colonelColonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
of the 33rd Missouri Infantry of the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
on September 5, 1862. He organized a brigade and was commissioned brigadier general
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
November 24, 1862. He served most of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
in Missouri and Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, commanding first the District of Southeast Missouri and later the Department of North Missouri. The primary duty of these commands was opposing raids into Missouri by Confederate States of America
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
cavalry and guerrillas.
Freedmen's Bureau and Fisk University
After the Civil War, Fisk was appointed assistant commissioner of the Freedmen's Bureau for KentuckyKentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
and Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. He worked through the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands and the American Missionary Association
American Missionary Association
The American Missionary Association was a Protestant-based abolitionist group founded on September 3, 1846 in Albany, New York. The main purpose of this organization was to abolish slavery, to educate African Americans, to promote racial equality, and to promote Christian values...
to establish the first free schools in the Southern United States
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
for both African-American and white children.
He made the abandoned barracks in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
available to the American Missionary Association
American Missionary Association
The American Missionary Association was a Protestant-based abolitionist group founded on September 3, 1846 in Albany, New York. The main purpose of this organization was to abolish slavery, to educate African Americans, to promote racial equality, and to promote Christian values...
for the creation of the Fisk School, and endowed it with a total of $30,000.
Prohibition Party
After authorizing legislation expired for the Freedmen's Bureau, Fisk returned to his native New York. He became successful in banking. In 1874 President Ulysses S. GrantUlysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
appointed him to the Board of Indian Commissioners
Board of Indian Commissioners
The Board of Indian Commissioners was a committee that advised the federal government of the United States on Native American policy and it inspected supplies delivered to Indian agencies to ensure the fufillment of government treaty obligations to tribes....
.
Fisk was a leader in the temperance movement
Temperance movement
A temperance movement is a social movement urging reduced use of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movements may criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence , or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.-Temperance movement by...
and became the presidential candidate for the Prohibition Party
Prohibition Party
The Prohibition Party is a political party in the United States best known for its historic opposition to the sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages. It is the oldest existing third party in the US. The party was an integral part of the temperance movement...
in the United States presidential election, 1888
United States presidential election, 1888
The 1888 election for President of the United States saw Grover Cleveland of New York, the incumbent president and a Democrat, try to secure a second term against the Republican nominee Benjamin Harrison, a former U.S. Senator from Indiana...
. He came in third with 249,506 votes. The election was won by Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin Harrison was the 23rd President of the United States . Harrison, a grandson of President William Henry Harrison, was born in North Bend, Ohio, and moved to Indianapolis, Indiana at age 21, eventually becoming a prominent politician there...
of the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. Fisk was also surpassed by the incumbent President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland
Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents...
of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. But, Fisk did receive one of the highest results of any Prohibition Party candidate in history. The Party has run candidates in every presidential election since the United States presidential election, 1872
United States presidential election, 1872
In the United States presidential election of 1872, incumbent President Ulysses S. Grant was easily elected to a second term in office with Senator Henry Wilson of Massachusetts as his running mate, despite a split within the Republican Party that resulted in a defection of many Liberal Republicans...
.
Fisk died in New York City on July 9, 1890, and was buried in Coldwater, Michigan.
Legacy and honors
- Fisk University was named after him; his work and funds contributed to education for generations of young people.
- In 2001 he was the first to be inducted into the new Hillsdale County, MichiganHillsdale County, Michigan-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 46,527 people, 17,335 households, and 12,550 families residing in the county. The population density was 78 people per square mile . There were 20,189 housing units at an average density of 34 per square mile...
Veterans' Hall of Fame, for his distinguished service in the American Civil War. (Hall of Fame inductee 001, Civil War inductee 001.)
- Temperance Park, a planned community on Staten IslandStaten IslandStaten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
, New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, named one of its major streets Clinton B. Fisk Avenue in his honor. The name remains, although the community changed its name to WesterleighWesterleighWesterleigh is a village and parish in South Gloucestershire, England near the edge of the Cotswold hills. The village is located between Yate and Bristol, nearby villages include Nibley, Wapley, Iron Acton, Coalpit Heath and Codrington.-Background:...
.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals
Additional reading
- Alphonso A. Hopkins, The Life of Clinton Bowen Fisk (1882)
- Reavis L. Mitchell Jr., Fisk University Since 1866: Thy Loyal Children Make Their Way (1995).
External links
- Clinton B. Fisk Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture