Scudder Family Historical & Biographical Journal

This issue of the Journal remembers the three men who founded the Scudder Association in 1912, describes their vision and outreach, and also features the Association’s first eight presidents. Judge Townsend Scudder was both a founder and the Scudder Association’s first president.

On February 22, 1912, three gentlemen with the surname of Scudder sent out a Call to “the Scudders of America” with the mission statement of their vision of “summoning the Scudder Clan to a gathering in New York for the purpose” to organize the descendants of the “sturdy Pioneer Puritans, Thomas of Salem and John of Barnstable” into a cause bigger than themselves,

To The Scudders (Everywhere) Greeting: Referring to my letter of May 1, our sixth annual gathering took place on May 19, as scheduled. While nearly 150 replies were received in response to the call, unusual circumstances made the actual attendance smaller than in recent years.

The Scudder Memorial Association was founded in 1911, the year prior to the founding of the Scudder Association of America in 1912. In 1913, Mrs. John L. Scudder wrote a history of the Scudder Memorial Association stating that it was founded on 10 March 1911 for two reasons: “to honor the Rev. John Scudder, M.D., for his self-sacrificing work as a pioneer medical missionary in India

JUDGE TOWNSEND SCUDDER 1865–1960 Served as First president of the Scudder Association in 1912 and again in 1924
Lineage: Townsend8 Scudder II (Townsend7 I, Henry6, Lt. Henry5, Timothy4 II, Timothy3 I, Thomas2, Jr., Thomas1 (T)). Spouse: Married Mary Dannet Thayer, 3 June 1891. Mary was b. 26 November 1866, daughter of George A. Thayer.

Two in the First Decade, One for 1928–1939, and Two Between 1949 and 1962, and Three Other SA Presidents in the First Three Decades Were Also Townsends Plus Three Others Later

As historianss David McCullough said, “Personality is often the determining factor of why things turn out the way they do.” Therefore, these brief biographies that follow, compiled from the Scudder Association Archives and other artifacts and sources, explain why these early leaders of the Association were successful and were met with great enthusiasm by its members.

Myron was a visionary founder of the original Scudder Association in 1912, but also a progressive educator, open to new or unconventional ideas who founded his own school in 1911.

Wallace M. Scudder graduated in mechanical engineering undergrad, then studied law: WALLACE M. SCUDDER (1853–1921) studied engineering at Lehigh University and law at Harvard, being admitted to the New Jersey Bar in 1876.

Moses authored a number of books, but for family historianss his greatest contribution was recognizing the need that a copy of the handwritten records of the First Church of Huntington during the ministry of Rev. Ebeneezer Prime be transcribed and published with an index.

Silas Downer Scudder (1860–1931) born in India, received his education in Germany and in England. He became a banker in San Antonio, Texas; president of the Jefferson Bank in New York City, He was for many years in charge of banks which were in receivers’ hands in Virginia, North Carolina and elsewhere. As he phrased it, he was a doctor for sick banks.’ He was a commander of the Knights Templar.

Rev. Henry Townsend Scudder was a graduate of Columbia University and the Episcopal Seminary. He became rector of St. Stephens Church in Brooklyn and Later of Christ Church in Tarrytown, N.Y. He served as chaplain of the Military Order of Foreign Wars.

Winthrop9 Saltonstall Scudder was a Scudder through and through. He was descended from immigrant siblings, John2 Scudder (J) of Barnstable, Plymouth Colony on his Scudder direct line and on other lines more than once from Elizabeth2 Scudder (E), John(J)’s sister. John2 (J) and Elizabeth2 (E) were the children of John1 Scudder and Elizabeth1 Stoughton

Marvyn Scudder was a Yale man. He worked with a number of investigating companies and among others he was aide to Charles Evans Hughes in the Armstrong Insurance Investigation and to Mayor Mitchell in the investigation of the New York City Board of Education. He often acted as financial expert with House and Senate Committees. He became head of his own firm of investors and of the Investors Agency of New York.

When the Scudder Memorial Association with address of 1 Exchange Place, Jersey City, New Jersey filed its certificate of incorporation on 19 June 1911, its sole purpose was to raise funds to complete the construction of the new Scudder Memorial Hospital facility. Within ten years, members of the Scudder Association of America, that was formed in 1912 to include social and family history purposes, also were contributing substantially to the building of the hospital through a part of the association’s dues and personal donations.

¬¬¬President Theodore Townsend Scudder Proposes to Publish the Scudder Association Bulletin,
Isabelle Scudder Farrington Invites the Scudders to Her School for the 1937 Annual Reunion, and a Decision to Merge the Scudder Association and the Scudder Memorial Association in 1938