Theodore Lyman | |
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 Lyman in uniformc. 1863–65 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromMassachusetts's9th district | |
| In office March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1885 | |
| Preceded by | William W. Rice |
| Succeeded by | Frederick D. Ely |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1833-08-23)August 23, 1833 Waltham, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | September 9, 1897(1897-09-09) (aged 64) Nahant, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Spouse | Elizabeth Russell |
| Children | Cora Lyman,Theodore Lyman IV and Henry Lyman |
| Parent |
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| Signature | .png) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States of AmericaUnion |
| Branch/service |  Union Army |
| Years of service | May 1863 to April 20, 1865 |
| Rank |  Lieutenant Colonel |
| Unit | Army of the Potomac |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
Theodore Lyman III (August 23, 1833 – September 9, 1897) was a natural scientist, military staff officer during theAmerican Civil War, andUnited States Representative fromMassachusetts.
Lyman was born inWaltham,Massachusetts, on August 23, 1833, son of Boston mayorTheodore Lyman II and Mary Henderson of a prominent New York family.
The first Theodore, Lyman's grandfather, founded a successful shipping firm in the 1790s inYork, Maine, which provided the basis for the family fortune.Theodore Lyman I sought out noted Salem architect,Samuel McIntire, to design and build his country seat, known as the Vale, in the Boston suburb ofWaltham. Now known as TheLyman Estate, it is today a park and house museum owned by Historic New England. Mayor Lyman (Theodore II) served two terms and retired from public office in 1836 upon the sudden death of his wife Mary. His son Ted, as he was known by family and friends, was educated by private tutors and traveled extensively in Europe with his father. Mayor Lyman died in 1849, possibly from a stroke. Young Theodore was sixteen years old.
From his father he inherited a 60-acre (240,000 m2) working farm in Brookline, Massachusetts, called Singletree. His older sister Cora inherited the town house on Beacon Hill, and the two split stocks and investment income amounting to $430,000. Lyman's uncle, George Williams Lyman, took deed to the Vale. Cora's husband, Gardner Howland Shaw, guided Theodore intoHarvard University where he was graduated in 1855 near the top of his class. Theodore then entered the University'sLawrence Scientific School and studied under professorLouis Agassiz, one of the preeminent natural scientists of the 19th century. He graduated with honors in 1858. Lyman was a founding member and underwriter of Harvard's Museum of Comparative Anatomy. Lyman first met future major-generalGeorge Gordon Meade in 1856 while conducting research on starfish in Florida. Lieutenant Meade was there overseeing construction of lighthouses for the Army Corps of Engineers. They became friends and corresponded frequently prior to the Civil War.
Ted Lyman married Elizabeth "Mimi" Russell in 1858. Elizabeth was the daughter ofGeorge Robert Russell of Russell & Company, a successful merchant turned philanthropist. Mimi's mother was Sarah Parkman Shaw. ColonelRobert Gould Shaw, commander of the famed54th Massachusetts Infantry (portrayed in the movie "Glory"), was Mimi's first cousin. On the eve of the Civil War, Ted and Mimi embarked on a grand tour of Europe's capitals. Their first child, Cora, was born in 1862 in Florence, Italy.
Lyman returned to the United States in May 1863 and joined the staff of Major GeneralGeorge G. Meade as anaide-de-camp with a commission as lieutenant-colonel from Governor Andrew of Massachusetts. Lyman served under Meade for the remainder of the war, from September 2, 1863, to April 20, 1865. During this time, he acted as headquarters archivist. He saw action on the battlefield when he carried flags of truce through hostile lines atCold Harbor andPetersburg. His published letters and notebooks establish him as the preeminent recorder of events and personalities within the headquarters of theArmy of the Potomac. After the war, he became a companion of the Massachusetts Commandery of theLoyal Legion.
After the war he became a state Fish Commissioner, later a federal commissioner, and he was one of the first scientists to advocate the widespread use offish ladders, known then as "fishways." He was a member of theAmerican Academy of Arts and Sciences and of theNational Academy of Sciences, a trustee of thePeabody Education Fund, and an overseer of Harvard University. In his role as overseer he was influential in getting his cousinCharles W. Eliot elected as President of Harvard, a position Eliot held for near forty years. Lyman was also active in theMassachusetts Historical Society, theSociety of the Army of the Potomac, and the Military Historical Society of Massachusetts.
Ted and Mimi's daughter Cora died in 1869 of a "brain fever." The couple subsequently raised two boys, Theodore IV and Henry.Theodore Lyman IV attained renown as a physicist.
Lyman was elected as an IndependentRepublican representative to theForty-eighth Congress (March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1885) on a reform platform. The bipartisan coalition that put him into office collapsed by 1885, and he was passed over for nomination for a second term. He retired to Singletree inBrookline, where he devoted himself to the care of his sons. Through the last decade of his life, he suffered from a debilitating nervous disease. He gradually lost use of his limbs and was unable to continue work at the Museum of Comparative Zoology. Despite his paralysis, he was lucid and retained a sense of humor until the end of his life. He died inNahant, Massachusetts, on September 9, 1897, and was buried inMount Auburn Cemetery inCambridge.
During his life, Theodore Lyman acquired hundreds of acres of land onButtermilk Bay,Cape Cod, to preserve the spawning grounds of the ocean running redbrook trout. His legacy and summer cottage are preserved today as theLyman Reserve, located in Wareham, Plymouth and Bourne. The property is open to the public and managed by The Trustees of Reservations.
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromMassachusetts's 9th congressional district March 4, 1883–March 3, 1885 | Succeeded by |
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