Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

Illinois, and since then has given the
greater portion of his time to a large iium-
ber of interests with which he is con-
nected. He is president of the Pacific
Iron Works, director of the First National
Bank, director, for past twenty-five years,
of the Bridgeport Hospital, and director
of the Bridgeport Public Library and
Bridgeport Boys' Club.
Mr. Burnham has served the city of
Bridgeport faithfully and well in the following
official capacities : In 1897, he was
appointed park commissioner and served
for seven years ; and has served on board
of apportionment and taxation, and on
board of contracts and supplies for several
years, retiring in 1925. In 1908 he was
elected delegate to the Republican Na-
tional Convention ; in 1909 he was one of
the Republican presidential electors, and
was a member of the Republican Central
State Committee. He is a member of the
order of Knights Templar, Pyramid Tem-
ple of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine;
the Order of Elks ; the Algonquin of
Bridgeport; the Union League Club of
New Haven, and the New York Yacht
Club.
William Edward Burnham married
Hattie J. Keifer, on December 10, 1884,
daughter of Jacob and Effie Jane (Decker)
Kiefer, old residents of Bridgeport. Their
home is on Fairfield Avenue, Bridgeport.
They are members of St. John's Protestant
Episcopal Church. Mrs. Burnham
died January 17, 1923.
Mr. Burnham is one of the substantial,
highly respected, and progressive business
men of the city of Bridgeport, and
of the type of enterprising excutive that
has been responsible for the extraordinary
development of the city two decades.
Bridgeport is now the largest and most
important manufacturing city in the en-
tire State, and this fact is due largely to
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
133
the presence in the city of such men as
William Edward Bumham's type.
ACHESON, Edward Campion,
Saffragan Bishop of Conneotiont.
One of the most active and useful officials
of the Anglican Church, Bishop
Acheson and his talented wife are among
the leading citizens of Middletown in all
good work, calculated to promote the
welfare of the community and of the
State. Edward Campion Acheson was
born in 1858 in Woolwich, England, of
Irish parents, and reared in Ireland. In
1881 he accompanied his parents to Canada
and was in business for a time at
Toronto. For some time a student at the
University of Toronto, he graduated in
1888 from Wyckliflfe College at Toronto,
a divinity school. In 1892 he received the
degree of A. M. from the University of
New York, being at that time a curate at
St. George's Church of that city. He was
ordained to the Protestant Episcopal
priesthood by Bishop Sweatman of Toronto,
June 16, 1888. For one year he was
a curate at All Saints Church at Toronto.
In 1892 he was called to the church of the
Holy Trinity at Middletown, Connecti-
cut, as rector, and continued in this posi-
tion until his consecration as Suflfragan
Bishop. With an active mind and deeply
engrossed in his work, he rapidly grew in
the esteem not only of his parish, but of
his fellow citizens generally. One who
knew him well said: "He is first of all,
a man. His beneficences have extended
to people of every denomination and every
creed. Going about doing good is his religion."
In these brief words is summed
up the character of the man and cause for
the respect and esteem in which he is held
is revealed.
While he was rector of Trinity, the