Robert Maclay Widney
Encyclopedia
Robert Maclay Widney was an American
lawyer
, judge
, and a founding father of The University of Southern California.
He was born in Piqua, Ohio
. He was the older brother of Dr. Joseph Widney, second president of the University of Southern California
, and the nephew of Robert Samuel Maclay
, a pioneer missionary to China; and Charles Maclay
, later a state senator for California.
Maclay left Ohio in September 1855 and spent two years hunting and trapping on the great plains and in the Rocky Mountains, arriving at last in California in September 1857. He studied at the University of the Pacific (then located in Santa Clara
) from 1858 to 1862. He was admitted to the bar in 1865, and moved to Los Angeles
in 1867. In 1871, he was named a judge of the Court of California for Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties. He was a founder of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce (established in 1873). In 1874 he began the first rail transit company in Los Angeles, building a horsecar line from The Plaza to 6th and Pearl (now Figueroa Street
) Streets.
Los Angeles was a frontier town in the early 1870s, when a group of public-spirited citizens led by Judge Robert Maclay Widney first dreamed of establishing a university in the region. It took nearly a decade for this vision to become a reality, but in 1879 Widney formed a board of trustees and secured a donation of 308 lots of land from three prominent members of the community — Ozro W. Childs
, a Protestant horticulturist; former California governor John G. Downey
, an Irish-Catholic pharmacist and businessman; and Isaias W. Hellman
, a German-Jewish banker and philanthropist. The gift provided land for a campus as well as a source of endowment, the seeds of financial support for the nascent institution.
Robert M. Widney is interred in Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery, Los Angeles.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
, and a founding father of The University of Southern California.
He was born in Piqua, Ohio
Piqua, Ohio
Piqua is a city in Miami County, Ohio, United States. The population was 20,738 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area.Piqua was one of the cities that experienced severe flooding during the Great Dayton Flood of 1913....
. He was the older brother of Dr. Joseph Widney, second president of the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, and the nephew of Robert Samuel Maclay
Robert Samuel Maclay
Rev. Robert Samuel Maclay, D.D. was an American missionary who made pioneer contributions to the Methodist Episcopal missions in China, Japan and Korea.- Early life :...
, a pioneer missionary to China; and Charles Maclay
Charles Maclay
Charles Maclay was a California State Senator and the funder of the city of San Fernando, California in the San Fernando Valley.-History:Charles Maclay's heritage was from Ireland and Scotland...
, later a state senator for California.
Maclay left Ohio in September 1855 and spent two years hunting and trapping on the great plains and in the Rocky Mountains, arriving at last in California in September 1857. He studied at the University of the Pacific (then located in Santa Clara
Santa Clara, California
Santa Clara , founded in 1777 and incorporated in 1852, is a city in Santa Clara County, in the U.S. state of California. The city is the site of the eighth of 21 California missions, Mission Santa Clara de Asís, and was named after the mission. The Mission and Mission Gardens are located on the...
) from 1858 to 1862. He was admitted to the bar in 1865, and moved to Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
in 1867. In 1871, he was named a judge of the Court of California for Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties. He was a founder of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce (established in 1873). In 1874 he began the first rail transit company in Los Angeles, building a horsecar line from The Plaza to 6th and Pearl (now Figueroa Street
Figueroa Street
Figueroa Street is a street in Los Angeles County, California named for General José Figueroa , governor of Alta California from 1833 to 1835, who oversaw the secularization of the missions of California...
) Streets.
Los Angeles was a frontier town in the early 1870s, when a group of public-spirited citizens led by Judge Robert Maclay Widney first dreamed of establishing a university in the region. It took nearly a decade for this vision to become a reality, but in 1879 Widney formed a board of trustees and secured a donation of 308 lots of land from three prominent members of the community — Ozro W. Childs
Ozro W. Childs
Ozro Childs was a Protestant horticulturalist, merchant, and banker in the 19th century in Los Angeles, California. He was a founding father of the University of Southern California.-Early years:...
, a Protestant horticulturist; former California governor John G. Downey
John G. Downey
John Gately Downey was an Irish-American politician and the seventh Governor of California from January 14, 1860 to January 10, 1862. Until the election of Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2003, Downey was California's only foreign-born governor...
, an Irish-Catholic pharmacist and businessman; and Isaias W. Hellman
Isaias W. Hellman
Isaias Wolf Hellman was a German-Jewish banker and philanthropist, and a founding father of the University of Southern California.-Biography:...
, a German-Jewish banker and philanthropist. The gift provided land for a campus as well as a source of endowment, the seeds of financial support for the nascent institution.
Robert M. Widney is interred in Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery, Los Angeles.