William Larned Thacher (1866 - 1953)

Born 9 Oct 1866 in New Haven, CT

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 2 Nov 1953 at age 87 in Los Angeles, CA

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Biography

Page 45: "The childless widow of Professor William Larned, one of Professor Thomas Anthony Thacher's closest friends at Yale, had offered to give $5,000 and her husband's collection of books to a baby son of the Thachers if her were named for her husband. The offer was made at the time of Sherman's birth, but that the first son should bear any name but Sherman was unthinkable. On the arrival of a second son, Mrs. Larned repeated her offer, and this time it was accepted."

Page 99: "Following graduation from Yale College, William had spent one year at the Yale Medical School, then transferred to Union Theological Seminary, where was graduated in 1891 with honors. For three years he worked at the Y.M.C.A. in New York City. In the Autumn of 1894 he was called to fill the pulpit of the Presbyterian Church in the little oil town of Bradford, Pennsylvania. Unable to subscribe conscientiously to some of the tenets required, he was never ordained but did receive a license to preach after a rigorous examination.... But he was not happy in Bradford, and resigned after less than seven months. He went to Ojai to pay his mother and two brothers a second visit which was to last more than forty-five years.... So well did he fit into the life and work of the place that Mr. Thacher invited him to remain as Associate Headmaster. He accepted, sent for his belongings, and prepared to join the faculty in the fall."

Page 118: "Interest in tennis was negligible until the arrival of Mr. William Thacher, but his enthusiasm and skill soon made it the most popular game at the school and in the valley. He had been champion of Yale, runner-up in the national Intercollegiate singles, and doubles champion. Not only was he a first-rate player himself, but he enjoyed teaching everyone else. New courts were built at the school, a tennis club was established in the village, tournaments were organized, and matches arranged between the valley and the school and with teams from other towns. Mr. William Thacher, however, was so much better than the next best that the visiting teams would inquire whether they were to play Ojai with, or without, Thacher. For the same reason he was often barred from local tournaments, and the result when he did compete may be imagined from this description by a local wit:

And over the heap raged a Form in white duck Like a Berserker wild; till a voice from the ruck Wailed, "Terrible Thacher is running amuck!" And panic was wedded to frenzy.

Oh, the shake of the earth and the terrible sight When Forster and Hubby rushed into the fight, And over the stricken there danced in delight The form of the Terrible Thacher. ^{[1] [2]}

Household in 1870:

1. Thos A Thatcher M 55 Connecticut
2. Elizabeth B Thatcher F 46 Connecticut
3. Apphia Thatcher F 58 Connecticut
4. Thomas Thatcher M 20 Connecticut
5. Edward S Thatcher M 18 Connecticut
6. Alfred B Thatcher M 16 Connecticut
7. John S Thatcher M 14 Connecticut
8. Sherman D Thatcher M 8 Connecticut
9. Wm L Thatcher M 3 Connecticut
10. Elizabeth Thatcher F 1 Connecticut
11. Margaret Havey F 15 Ireland
12. Mary A Havey F 19 Ireland
13. Elizabeth B Havey F 18 Ireland ^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ Sherman Thacher and His School, by Leroy McKim Makepeace; Yale University Press; 1941
2. ↑ Excerpts from Sherman Thacher and His School; transcribed from Sherman Thacher and His School at Kyle Dane's Genealogy and Family History Blog
3. ↑ United States Census, 1870, database with images, FamilySearch; accessed 25 November 2015, Wm L Thatcher in household of Thos A Thatcher, Connecticut, United States; citing p. 22, family 136, NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 545,608.

• Residence in 1880: 1880 United States Federal Census; Digital Image, Ancestry.com; Census Place: New Haven, New Haven, Connecticut; Roll: 105; Family History Film: 1254105; Page: 339D; Enumeration District: 073; Image: 0221.
• Residence in 1910: 1910 United States Federal Census; Digital Image, Ancestry.com; Census Place: Ventura, Ventura, California; Roll: T624_111; Page: 12B; Enumeration District: 0216; FHL microfilm: 1374124.
• Residence in 1930: United States Census, 1930, database with images, FamilySearch; accessed 25 November 2015, William L Thacher in entry for Sherman D Thacher, 1930.
• Marriage Record: California, County Marriages, 1850-1952, database with images, FamilySearch; accessed 25 November 2015, William Larnede Thacher and Hilda Blumer, 27 Jun 1911; citing Los Angeles, California, United States, county courthouses, California; FHL microfilm 2,074,038.
• Death Record: California Death Index, 1940-1997, database, FamilySearch; accessed 25 November 2015, William Larned Thacher, 02 Nov 1953; Department of Public Health Services, Sacramento.
• Memorial: Find a Grave (has image)
  Find A Grave: Memorial #205840500 (accessed 10 January 2023)
  Memorial page for William Larned Thacher (9 Oct 1866-2 Nov 1953), citing Mountain View Cemetery and Mausoleum, Altadena, Los Angeles County, California, USA (plot: Guardian Vault, Pasadena Mausoleum Basement); Maintained by Suzy & Rob (contributor 46950534).