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ALEXANDER THOMPSON VAN NEST was born September 29, 1844, in New York City.
He was the son of Abraham R. and Mary (Thompson) Van Nest. He prepared for college
at Professor Griffin's private school for boys, Williamstown, Massachusetts, and entered our
Class in the autumn of 1859, remaining with us until the end of Sophomore year, and then
removed, after a year out of college, to Princeton University, then known as the College of
New Jersey, where he was graduated in 1864.
While in our college he joined the Chi Psi fraternity, and he was also a member of
the 'Technian Literary Society and of Greylock Baseball Club.
After leaving college Van Nest lived in the city of New York, and devoted his time
to looking after the interests of himself and family in various corporations in which their
large capital was invested. He was never in public life, yet was very influential in the
financial and business circles of the city.
March 26, 1873, he married Miss Margaret Taylor, daughter of Robert Lenox Taylor,
of New York City. They had one child, who is married to John Stewart Barney, of
Richmond, Virginia.
He died suddenly, August 10, 1896, of apoplexy, while riding upon a bicycle, at
Schwalbach, Germany.
Source:
Class of Sixty-Three Williams College Fortieth Year Report, by
the Class Historian, Thomas Todd Printer, Boston, 1903
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