Ezra Randall Andrews (1828-1900) was born on March 16, 1828 in Gates (now Rochester), NY to Randall and Avis (née Mason) Andrews. After working as a press feeder, Andrews became an apprentice at the Rochester Democrat in April 1846. By 1852 he had left the newspaper to join the firm Smith & Benton, and then bought-out Smith's portion to form Benton & Andrews in 1857. He remained at the firm until 1870, when he opened his own printing establishment. Andrews was an active member of the Rochester community. He served as alderman for the Third Ward for four years and was president of the Common Council. He was elected to the Board of Trustees for numerous organizations including the First Baptist Church, the New York Baptist Union for Ministerial Education, the Western House of Refuge, the Rochester Orphan Asylum, the Mechanics Savings Bank, and the Western New York Institution for Deaf Mutes. In addition, Andrews helped organize the Campbell's Creek Coal Company and the United Typothetae of America, a professional organization for printers. In 1885, the Mechanics Institute of Rochester was established to educate individuals entering the technical and industrial fields. From its inception, Andrews served as one of the trustees of the Institute. In 1890, he sat on a committee to arrange the merger of the Mechanics Institute with the Rochester Athenaeum, another educational institution in the Rochester area. When the consolidation was finalized in 1891, Andrews became the first president of the Board of Directors for the Rochester Athenaeum and Mechanics Institute (RAMI), today known as the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). He held this position until June 5, 1899. Andrews married Betsy Lucelia Rider (1830-1902) of Vermont in 1860 with whom he had two daughters: Clara Louise and Kate Rider. His wife was also involved in RAMI, serving as the first president of the Domestic Science Department. Andrews died on August 13, 1900.
From the description of Ezra R. Andrews papers 1883-1919 (RIT Library). WorldCat record id: 758997676
