William E. Dodge (1805–1883)

[William Earl].  American philanthropist, born at Hartford, CT, on the 4th of September 1805. He went into business in New York City in 1826 as a manufacturer and importer. He later took a great interest in all benevolent and religious institutions, and was a member of the Peace Convention of 1861. He contributed most of the funds toward the establishment of the Protestant college at Beyrout, Syria. He sat in Congress as a Republican from 1866 to 1867. He died at New York City on the 9th of February 1883. Two years after his death a statue to his memory was erected in his adopted city.