century association biographical archive

Earliest Members of the Century Association

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Oliver H. P. La Farge

Secretary, Deposit Company

Centurion, 1907–1936

Full Name Oliver Hazard Perry La Farge

Born 10 July 1869 in Middletown, Rhode Island

Died 29 May 1936 in New York (Manhattan), New York

Buried Saint Columba Catholic Cemetery, Middletown, Rhode Island

Proposed by Beverly Chew and S. B. P. Trowbridge

Elected 7 December 1907 at age thirty-eight

Archivist’s Note: Son of John La Farge; nephew of George L. Heins; brother of Bancel La Farge, C. Grant La Farge, and John La Farge; uncle of Christopher La Farge, L. Bancel La Farge, Oliver La Farge, and Thomas La Farge

Century Memorial

No man of genius can reckon on all his progeny reproducing his qualities; the history of all human society and human achievement has testified to the uncertain working in the second generation, either of heredity or environment. Both influences probably contributed to the occasional paintings of Oliver La Farge, but they were avocations. His life career contrasted so widely with that of his father, John La Farge, that his personal achievement will be principally remembered as that of gold prospector, motor-company manager and banker. After all, interest in the family successors of men of great achievement is particularly real in regard to development of other traits and capacities which might have seemed precluded by inheritance.

Alexander Dana Noyes
1937 Century Association Yearbook