George William Curtis was born February 24, 1824 at Providence, Rhode Island, the second son of the George and Mary (Burrill) Curtis. His brother, James Burrill Curtis, had been born in 1822. He and his brother attended C. W. Green's boarding school, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. Mary Burrill Curtis died in 1826; the boys were in school from 1830-35. George Curtis remarried: the daughter of Samuel W. Bridgham of Providence. At about this time the teachings of Emerson began to influence both the Curtis youths. George finished his schooling in Providence in 1839 and the family moved to New York City, where George received private tutoring. In 1840, Mr. Curtis placed George as a clerk in a German importing house in Exchange place. He was poorly suited to this and soon left. The influence of Emerson flowed into an interest in the Transcendental movement and he spent the summers of 1842 and 1843 at Brook Farm. The following years, both the brothers spent their summers studying and farming at Concord Mass, where George William became good friends with Emerson, Hawthorn, and Thoreau. From 1846 to 1850 George William traveled over Europe, Africa, and the Near East, acting as correspondent for the Courier and Inquirer in New York and had kept a journal. In 1851 he became music critic and editorial writer for the New York Tribune and published his first book, "Nile Notes of a Hawadji," and gave his first lecture. "Lotus Eating" and "The Howadji in Syria," were published in 1852, and the following year, he was editor with Parke Goodwin and Charles F. Briggs on Putnam's Weekly, and published two more books: "Potiphar Papers" and "Prue and I." In 1854, he became Editor of the Easy Chair column in "Harper's Monthly Magazine," a position he maintained the rest of his life. He married Anna Shaw, daughter of Francis G. Shaw of Staten Island, at her father's home by the Rev. John Parkman. The young couple took up residence on the island. This was also the first year in which he evidenced deep interest in abolitionism and in politics in general, campaigning for Fremont in the fall of the year. He accepted a partnership of the publishing firm of Dix, Edwards and Co., the new owners of Putnam's Monthly in 1856. In April 1857 the company failed and Curtis accepted a large indebtedness he felt morally, even though he was not legally responsible for it. It took him almost twenty years on the strenuous lecture circuit before he was able to repay the debt, and force him to forego his development as a creative author. He came through this to be considered to have been the greatest orator of his time. In 1857, his first child, a son, was born on Staten Island and the following year his novel "Trumps," was serialized in Harper's Weekly. His interest in politics grew and he became very active in the Richmond County Republican Party Organization. In 1860 he was nominated as a delegate to the national convention in Chicago where he made a speech in favor of the resolution that all men are created equal to be endorsed by the party. He became political editor of Harper's Weekly in 1863 and the following year again was delegate to the Republican National Convention where he was and ardent supporter of Lincoln and wrote the letter officially notifying Lincoln of his renomination. He was nominated for Congress from Staten Island and was defeated, as he expected to be. Curtis continued to be very active in subsequent years, and in 1868 was Elector on the Republican ticket, casting his vote for Grant. The New York Times offered him the editorship of the Times, which he refused, in 1869 and the same year he declined a nomination for the office of Secretary of State. One year later, he was Chairman of the Civil Service Reform Commission which he accepted. He resigned this by 1874, doubting the willingness of the Grant administration to support Civil Service Reform. President - Elect Hayes unofficially offered him an ambassadorship, possibly to England, which he declined after consideration. In 1880, the New York Civil Service Reform Association was founded and he in and he in attendance was elected president, a post which he kept until his death. The 1884 Republican National Convention which nominated Blaine at which he was, as usual, a delegate disappointed him. He gave his support instead to the Democratic nominee, Cleveland because he believed that Blaine would not support needed reforms. This constituted a complete break with the Republican Party, and in 1888, he supported Grover Cleveland's bid for reelection. In 1890, he was appointed Chancellor of the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York, which post he held at the time of his death. His last lecture on the Staten Island was delivered on Charles Sumner at the YMCA Building in Tompkinsville. His last public address, on his dear and late friend James Russell Lowell, was delivered in New York. He became seriously ill early in June 1892 and after a period of acute suffering, died at his Staten Island home on August 31st.