Stone memorializing De Witt Clinton
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- Memorial Type
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- Memorial Inscription
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Memorial Object
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Plaque/Marker
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Clinton, De Witt
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Stone memorializing De Witt Clinton
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The “Walk of Fame” was created in 1929 by then-president Hamilton Holt to honor significant historical figures. The memorial is located in the center of campus around Mills Lawn.
De Witt Clinton (1769-1828), born in Little Britain, New York, served in different political stations throughout the state of New York, including Secretary to the Governor, State Representative, State Senator, New York City Mayor, presidential candidate in the 1808 U.S. presidential election, and two-term governor of New York in 1817-1822 and 1825-1828.
Clinton started his career as the secretary to his uncle, the governor of New York, George Clinton, after completing his studies at the newly renamed Columbia College in 1786. De Witt Clinton went on to become prominent throughout New York as a native statesman dedicated to executing improvements across the state physically and culturally. One of the most notable accomplishments of Clinton’s political career was the construction of the Erie Canal, completed in 1825.
Although in his early years Clinton and his family were known to own slaves, Clinton is recognized for helping to completely abolish slavery throughout the state of New York by 1827. He was a strong proponent of abolition throughout his career. He supported organizations like The Association for the Manumission of Slaves, which focused on abolishing slavery in New York State. The initial act in New York to end slavery came in 1799 with the emancipation of all future children of current slaves. Clinton furthered its effect in 1817 by convincing the New York legislature to move to abolish slavery for all enslaved persons, which was passed in 1827.
Clinton’s stone came to the Rollins College Walk of Fame sometime between 1933 and 1939 from the site of the Clinton family homestead in Little Britain, New York.
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Smooth stone measuring 25.5 inches in width, 17 inches in length.
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DE WITT CLINTON
LITTLE BRITAIN
N.Y.
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Holt, Hamilton
Cleveland, Robert '32
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1939
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Holt, Hamilton
Rollins College
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Bobbé, Dorothie. De Witt Clinton. (Minton, Balch & Company, New York, 1933).
National Governors Association, “Gov. Dewitt Clinton.” National Governors Association, n.d. Accessed at: https://www.nga.org/governor/dewitt-clinton/.
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