Maurice Isserman, Hamilton’s historian of the American left
The Hamilton history professor writes about the American left and mountaineering, and he has taught on the Hill since 1990.
Features
Neighbors, founders and figures from Clinton, Kirkland and Oneida County history.
Dick Clark got his start in a Utica mailroom
Before American Bandstand, Clark worked in the mailroom at WRUN radio in Utica, which his father managed, and later at WKTV.
Sherwood Boehlert’s name is on the train station for a reason
The Utica-born Republican served 24 years in Congress, chaired the House Science Committee and steered money to Union Station and the Rome lab.
Harold Frederic, the Utica proofreader who became a novelist
Frederic grew up in Utica, started out at its newspapers and wrote "The Damnation of Theron Ware." He is buried in Forest Hill Cemetery.
Alexander Woollcott, Hamilton class of 1909, is buried on the Hill
The drama critic and radio voice graduated from Hamilton and asked to be buried there. His ashes arrived with 67 cents postage due.
B.F. Skinner came to Hamilton to be a writer
The psychologist studied English at Hamilton, graduating in 1926, before he turned to the science that made him famous.
Theodore Weld found his cause in Oneida County
The abolitionist attended classes at Hamilton in 1825 and then went to the Oneida Institute in Whitesboro, the most abolitionist school in the country.
John B. Jervis started on the canal as an axeman and ended up an engineering giant
Jervis was hired at 22 to clear brush for the Erie Canal survey near Rome. He went on to build railroads and the Croton Aqueduct, then retired to Rome.
Francis Bellamy, who grew up in Rome, wrote the Pledge of Allegiance
Bellamy moved to Rome as a 5-year-old. In 1892 he wrote the pledge for a magazine campaign to put flags in schools.
Joe Bonamassa opened for B.B. King at 12
The blues rock guitarist was born in New Hartford and grew up in Utica. He holds the record for No. 1 blues albums.
Annette Funicello was born in Utica
The Mouseketeer, pop singer and beach movie star was born in Utica in 1942 before her family moved to California.
Horatio Seymour ran for president from Utica
The two-time governor of New York moved to Utica as a boy, served as its mayor and was the Democratic nominee for president in 1868.
