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VANDERPOOL, the third son of Beach and Susan C. Fisher
Vanderpool, was born in
Newark, New Jersey, November 4, 1841. At the age of thirteen years he was placed in the
family school of Mr. Charles M. Davis, of Bloomfield, New Jersey, a most admirable teacher
and disciplinarian. Later he was sent to Mount Pleasant Academy, Sing Sing, New York,
where he was prepared for college. In 1859 he entered the Freshman class, Yale College,
and two years later, in 1861, he entered our Class and was graduated with us. While in
college he became a member of the Sigma Phi fraternity. After graduation he returned to
Newark and commenced the study of medicine in the office of Dr. Isaac A. Nichols. He
remained with Dr. Nichols about a year, and then entered the College of Physicians and
Surgeons in New York City. He received the degree of Doctor of Medicine in 1866, and
by a competitive examination, in which some twenty young doctors took part, Vanderpool
won the position of house physician in the New York Hospital, which he held for more than
two years. In 1869 he settled in Newark and commenced the practice of medicine, and
speedily won a large clientage. He was appointed a member of the medical staff of St.
Barnabas Hospital, chartered in 1867, but soon resigned and accepted a membership on the
medical staff of St. Michael's Hospital. In 1870 he was elected brigade surgeon, with the
rank of major, on the staff of General Plume in the New Jersey State militia.
During the summer of 1873, Dr. Vanderpool made a trip to Europe, spending his
time in the British Isles and parts of the Continent. November 29, 1874, our classmate
started upon a journey around the world for the benefit of his health. He sailed from New
York in the barkentine James Condie. The voyage was propitious and without untoward
incident until April 1, 1875, when the vessel, during a severe storm, was wrecked upon a
coral reef off the island of Baeton, in the vicinity of Celebes. The crew, with the captain
and Dr. Vanderpool, took to the ship's boats, and after rowing about twenty miles landed
upon a small island which was found to be inhabited by savages, who would not allow the
castaways near their villages. After two weeks, during which they were suspiciously watched
by the islanders, they were rescued by an Italian man-of-war and taken to
Amboyna, an
island belonging to Holland. At the commandant's invitation, Dr. Vanderpool, nearly all
of whose possessions were lost by the wreck, remained on board of the corvette until
Hongkong was reached, whence he took passage to Yokohama. While awaiting events at
Yokohama our classmate received the appointment of ship's surgeon on the Golden Age
in the Yokohama-Shanghai steamship service, but this he declined, and accepted the
position of assistant physician at the Yokohama General Hospital. He occupied apartments
in the hospital, and on the morning of January 14, 1876, was found dead in his bed. "He
had the appearance rather of one that slept than of one who had already crossed the dark
river." He was buried in the foreign cemetery at Yokohama, a Rev. Mr. Miller, of the
Church of England, officiating, but during the course of the year his remains were brought
home and he was interred in the family vault at Newark October 31, 1876, the officiating
clergyman being Rev. Mr. Goodwin, who baptized and received our classmate into the
Episcopal Church March 30, 1872. Vanderpool never married.
Source:
Class of Sixty-Three Williams College Fortieth Year Report, by
the Class Historian, Thomas Todd Printer, Boston, 1903
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