Colorado Museum of Natural History
Variant namesElmer W. Merritt was a trustee and founding father of the Colorado Museum of Natural History (CMNH).
Merritt was born in New York State on October 31, 1861, attended the University of Ann Arbor and arrived in Denver in 1879. He went into the lumber and mercantile business and eventually became connected with the Continental Oil Co. In 1885 he began a career in real estate and investment securities, forming the firm Merritt and Gromman.
He served as Secretary of the Board of Trustees at CMNH (now the Denver Museum of Nature & Science) from 1897-1902. The museum was incorporated in 1900, during his watch. In addition to his founding work at the museum, Merritt was also a member of the Depot Commission when Denver's Union Station was built and served as a Colorado State Senator.
Merritt died in 1917.
Dr. Persifor M. Cooke was the longest serving member of the Denver Museum of Natural History's Board of Trustees. He served continuously from 1905 to 1954, a total of 49 years.
Cooke was born December 25, 1860 in Adams County, near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. He attended Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and in 1886 graduated from Hahnemann Medical College in Philadelphia. After completing medical school he served short stints as a resident physician and surgeon in Brooklyn and as health physician in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. In 1888 he moved to Denver and practiced medicine until 1899, when he joined Denver National Bank. He held several important positions with the bank and retired in 1929.
In 1892 Cooke married Annie Kirtley Shields of Denver. They had one son, but he was killed in World War I when a German submarine torpedoed the US Navy patrol boat he served on. Annie died in 1932 and Cooke married Helen Archbold in 1935. She died in 1948.
At the time of his death in 1954 at age 93, Cooke was still an active Trustee of the Museum, now the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Over the years he regularly attended Board meetings and was very active in Museum business. He was Board Secretary from 1902 to 1931, Secretary-Treasurer from 1936 to 1945, and again Secretary in 1946 and 1947. He served as Historian for the Board of Trustees until his death. In addition, Cooke was a frequent visitor to the Museum. He closely followed its progress and befriended employees. He considered it "the finest Museum in the country" and told the Board and Director that it was his chief interest during the last decade of his life. Accordingly, he generously remembered the Museum in his will.
From the guide to the Colorado Museum of Natural History, Secretary of the Board of Trustees Records, 1897-1947, (Denver Museum of Nature & Science, )
Elmer W. Merritt was a trustee and founding father of the Colorado Museum of Natural History (CMNH). Merritt was born in New York State on October 31, 1861, attended the University of Ann Arbor and arrived in Denver in 1879. He went into the lumber and mercantile business and eventually became connected with the Continental Oil Co. In 1885 he began a career in real estate and investment securities, forming the firm Merritt and Gromman. He served as Secretary of the Board of Trustees at CMNH (now the Denver Museum of Nature & Science) from 1897-1902; the museum was incorporated in 1900, during his watch. In addition to his founding work at the museum, Merritt was also a member of the Depot Commission when Denver's Union Station was built and served as a Colorado State Senator. Merritt died in 1917.
Dr. Persifor M. Cooke was the longest serving member of the Denver Museum of Natural History's Board of Trustees. He served continuously from 1905 to 1954, a total of 49 years. Cooke was born December 25, 1860 in Adams County, near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. He attended Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and in 1886 graduated from Hahnemann Medical College in Philadelphia. After completing medical school he served short stints as a resident physician and surgeon in Brooklyn and as health physician in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. In 1888 he moved to Denver and practiced medicine until 1899, when he joined Denver National Bank. He held several important positions with the bank and retired in 1929. In 1892 Cooke married Annie Kirtley Shields of Denver. They had one son, but he was killed in World War I when a German submarine torpedoed the US Navy patrol boat he served on. Annie died in 1932 and Cooke married Helen Archbold in 1935. She died in 1948. At the time of his death in 1954 at age 93, Cooke was still an active Trustee of the Museum, now the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Over the years he regularly attended Board meetings and was very active in Museum business. He was Board Secretary from 1905 to 1935, Secretary-Treasurer from 1936 to 1945, and again Secretary in 1946 and 1947. He served as Historian for the Board of Trustees until his death. In addition, Cooke was a frequent visitor to the Museum. He closely followed its progress and befriended employees. He considered it "the finest Museum in the country" and told the Board and Director that it was his chief interest during the last decade of his life. Accordingly, he generously remembered the Museum in his will.
From the description of Colorado Museum of Natural History, Secretary of the Board of Trustees records 1897-1947. (Denver Museum of Nature & Science). WorldCat record id: 68967575
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referencedIn | Miller, Frederick W. Department of Biology and Mammals records 1913-1931. | Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Alfred M. Bailey Library | |
referencedIn | John T. Mason Papers, 1901-1909 | Denver Museum of Nature and Science, | |
creatorOf | Rogers, Albert C., 1888-1959. Albert C. Rogers papers 1876-1979. | Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Alfred M. Bailey Library | |
referencedIn | Correspondence, 1897-1963. | New York State Historical Documents Inventory | |
referencedIn | Board of Trustees Records, 1900-1930 | Denver Museum of Nature and Science, | |
referencedIn | Papers, 1912-1920 | Denver Museum of Nature and Science, | |
referencedIn | Denver Museum of Natural History. Architectural plans and drawings of the Denver Museum of Natural History 1908-present. | Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Alfred M. Bailey Library | |
creatorOf | Lincoln, Frederick Charles, 1892-1960. Frederick C. Lincoln papers 1912-1920. | Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Alfred M. Bailey Library | |
referencedIn | Harry H. Sheldon Papers, 1913-1915 | Denver Museum of Nature and Science, | |
referencedIn | Mason, John T., 1853-1928. John T. Mason papers 1901-1909. | Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Alfred M. Bailey Library | |
referencedIn | Frank M. Taylor Papers, 1916-1930 | Denver Museum of Nature and Science, | |
referencedIn | Campion Collection, 1894-1915 | Denver Museum of Nature and Science, | |
referencedIn | Campion, John F. 1848-1916. John F. Campion papers 1894-1915. | Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Alfred M. Bailey Library | |
referencedIn | Charles H. Hanington Papers, 1928-1948 | Denver Museum of Nature and Science, | |
creatorOf | Colorado Museum of Natural History, Secretary of the Board of Trustees Records, 1897-1947 | Denver Museum of Nature and Science, | |
referencedIn | William S. Ward Papers, 1900-1912 | Denver Museum of Nature and Science, | |
creatorOf | Markman, Harvey C., 1881-1969. Earth Sciences Department records 1920-1956. | Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Alfred M. Bailey Library | |
referencedIn | Carter, Edwin, 1828-1900. Edwin Carter papers 1870-1899. | Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Alfred M. Bailey Library | |
referencedIn | Philip Reinheimer Papers, 1929-1949 | Denver Museum of Nature and Science, | |
referencedIn | Walter C. Mead Papers, 1930-1935 | Denver Museum of Nature and Science, | |
referencedIn | Figgins, J. D. (Jesse Dade), 1867-1944. Jesse D. Figgins papers 1904-1969. | Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Alfred M. Bailey Library | |
creatorOf | Colorado Museum of Natural History. Colorado Museum of Natural History, Secretary of the Board of Trustees records 1897-1947. | Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Alfred M. Bailey Library | |
referencedIn | Howland, Frank, 1857-1938. Frank Howland papers, 1918-1935. | Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Alfred M. Bailey Library | |
referencedIn | Earth Sciences Department Records, 1920-1956 | Denver Museum of Nature and Science, | |
creatorOf | Bailey, Alfred M. (Alfred Marshall), 1894-1978,. A.M. Bailey Alaska photo collection graphic. | Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Alfred M. Bailey Library | |
referencedIn | Department of Biology and Mammals Records, 1913-1931 | Denver Museum of Nature and Science, | |
referencedIn | Papers, 1926-1988 | Denver Museum of Nature and Science, | |
referencedIn | Papers, 1913-1925 | Denver Museum of Nature and Science, | |
referencedIn | Albert C. Rogers papers, 1876-1979 | Denver Museum of Nature and Science, | |
referencedIn | Records, 1918-1935 | Denver Museum of Nature and Science, | |
referencedIn | R. C. Hills Papers, 1916 | Denver Museum of Nature and Science, | |
referencedIn | Jesse Dade Figgins Papers, 1904-1935 | Denver Museum of Nature and Science, |
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