Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Thursday Thirteen #23 The Wikepedia/Last One?


Thirteen Places Named after someone


As I listened to the horrible conditions that injured soldiers were living inn while recuperating at Walter Reed, two things popped into my head. One, how could we treat some of Americas greates heroes this way. Two, who the heck is Walter Reed?? Since the second question is much easier to answer, here are thirteen places named after someone else.


1.walter reed hospital-Major Walter Reed, M.D., (September 13, 1851 - November 23, 1902) was a U.S. Army physician who in 1900 led the team which confirmed the theory (first set forth in 1881 by Cuban doctor/scientist Carlos Finlay) that yellow fever is transmitted by mosquitoes, rather than by direct contact. This insight opened entire new fields of epidemiology and biomedicine and most immediately allowed the resumption and completion of work on the Panama Canal (1904-14) by the United States.

2.Rittenhouse square-David Rittenhouse (April 8, 1732 – June 26, 1796) was a renowned American astronomer, inventor, mathematician, surveyor, scientific instrument craftsman, and public official. Rittenhouse was a member of the American Philosophical Society and the first director of the United States Mint.

3.Laguardia Airport-Fiorello Henry LaGuardia (born Fiorello Enrico LaGuardia; December 11, 1882 – September 20, 1947) was the Republican Mayor of New York for three terms from 1934 to 1945. He was popularly known as "the Little Flower," the translation of his Italian first name, also perhaps a reference to his short stature of just 5 feet. A popular mayor and a strong supporter of the New Deal, LaGuardia led New York's recovery during the Great Depression and became a national figure, serving as President Roosevelt's Director of Civilian Defense during the run-up to the United States joining the Second World War.

4.Ringling house and art museum, Sarasota, Florida-John Ringling (May 31, 1866 - December 2, 1936) was the most well-known and the most successful of the five Ringling brothers, who merged the Barnum & Bailey Circus with their own Ringling Brothers Circus to create a virtual monopoly of traveling circuses and helped shape the circus into what it is today.


5.Liacouras center, Sporting complex for Temple University
-Peter James Liacouras
Liacouras was the President of Temple University from 1981-2000. He is also a former Dean of the Temple University School of Law. He is currently chancellor of Temple University. During his presidency, the University underwent a building boom. He oversaw expanded sports, medical, housing, and learning facilities

6.Benaroya Hall Seattle-Jack A. Benaroya (born 1921) is a noted philanthropist and prominent civic leader in Seattle, Washington. He supports cultural, educational and medical groups with his donations. He is a former director of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce and the United Way of King County (Seattle).

7.Purdue University-John Purdue (born October 31, 1802 in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, died September 12, 1876) was a famous industrialist based in Lafayette, Indiana and the primary original benefactor of Purdue University. In 1862 the Morrill Act passed congress and the competition was on to find a location for a land grant college in Indiana. Bidding was fierce between Indiana University in Bloomington, Northwestern Christian in Indianapolis, and the Stockwell and Battle Ground Collegiate Institutes. After the death of influential Lafayette senator Albert S. White the Stockwell bid fell through. Years of wrangling failed to reach a compromise. In 1865 the state started the State Normal College (later Indiana State University) partly to relieve some of the pressure. In order to make Tippecanoe county stand out various locals stepped up with offers of land and money. By 1869 Tippecanoe's bid was up to nearly $400,000 in cash, land and bonds but the legislature still stalled. At this point Purdue stepped forth with $100,000 of his personal wealth. His only conditions on the money was that the college be located in Battle Ground and that his surname be associated with it. After some more negotiations (where the name of the university was chosen and Purdue was added to the board of trustees) Purdue's donations were raised to $150,000 and 100 acres of land. The negotiations also allowed the new board of trustees to choose the site of the university. (for the longest time I thought it was named after the Chicken guy)

8.Commodore Barry Bridge-John Barry (1745 – 13 September 1803) was an officer in the Continental Navy and later in the United States Navy. Barry was born in Tacumshane, County Wexford, Ireland and appointed a Captain in the Continental Navy 7 December 1775. He commanded Lexington and Alliance. He also had a hand in the establishment of the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
Commodore Barry died at Strawberry Hill, near Philadelphia on 13 September 1803, and was buried in St. Mary's Cemetery, Philadelphia.

9.St Louis, Missouri-St. Louis is known for its long standing French and German heritage and Victorian past. Louis IX or Saint Louis (April 25, 1215 – August 25, 1270) was King of France from 1226 until his death. Born at Poissy, near Paris, he was a member of the Capetian dynasty and the son of King Louis VIII and Blanche of Castile.

10.Smithsonian-James Smithson, FRS, MA (1764 – June 27, 1829) was a British mineralogist and chemist noted for having left a bequest in his will to the United States of America, which was used to fund the Smithsonian Institution. Smithson had never been to the United States, and the motive for the specific bequest is unknown. There is an unsourced tradition within the (existing) Percy family that it was to found an institution that would last longer than his father's dynasty. It is also said that he hated the British monarchy system (perhaps because he was unable to continue his family's title of nobility) and liked the U.S.'s revolutionary spirit.[citation needed] He also lived in France for a while during their revolution

11.Thomas and Mack Center-The facility is named after two prominent Nevada bankers, E. Parry Thomas and Jerome Mack, who donated the original funds for the feasibility and land studies. (its Las Vegas, you would think it would be called the Harrah's Center or something like that)

12.Hardees-Hardee's founder Wilbur Hardee opened his first restaurant in Greenville, North Carolina in 1960. On the strength of its two distinctive signature sandwiches (the Big Deluxe and the Big Twin), the chain experienced rapid growth by franchising and, to a lesser extent, by acquiring other restaurant chains.

13.Austin, Texas--Stephen Fuller Austin (November 3, 1793 – December 27, 1836), known as the "Father of Texas," led the second and ultimately successful colonization of the region by the United States. (so why is the college nickname the Lumberjacks?)


On a side note, apparently the Thursday Thirteen website is shutting down. I, however , will be continuing with my lists, website or no website. I'll call it something else if I have to, but what is going to happen? I am going to get sued for my blog??
Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)



Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!





22 comments:

Raggedy said...

Thursday Thirteen has come to an end.
I have enjoyed my visits here and consider us friends.
Thank you for sharing your thirteens with me.
The comments you left me filled me with glee.
It is hard to believe it is really true.
I am trying very hard to not be blue.
Happy TT'ing!
*^_^
(=':'=)
(")_ (")Š
Raggedy

Kimo and Sabi said...

You fergot Wendy's - Mmmmmmm!

ChupieandJ'smama (Janeen) said...

You know, sadly, I didn't know the whole story behind most of those. What are they teaching us in school anyway? I do know the whole Brittany Spears saga. Pretty sad statement on society isn't it? Nice TT. Sorry it'll be the last one. I always enjoyed yours.

Peg said...

LOL...I only knew a couple of those. Thank you for educating me this morning! A great List!

Christie O. said...

interesting! i never know most of that, including the name of laguardia which was really interesting. thanks!

Susan Helene Gottfried said...

VERY cool stuff. I'd like to sit and let it all soak in so I can pass some of it on to my kids. Maybe then I can sound as knowledgable (nerdy?) as The Tour Manager.

Darla said...

What an eclectic and informative list! I only knew a couple of them. Thank goodness for Wikipedia--I've started looking up things like this, like the people my kids' schools were named after. Barbara Bush Middle School and Ronald Reagan High School were pretty easy, but I was at a loss with Frank Tejeda and Clara Driscoll.

Unknown said...

great post sorry TT is gone. To answer your question, we need group photos of hubby and me and others for the adoption package and we are having a hard time finding them

Tink said...

Very interesting list, I enjoyed it very much.
I hope someone takes over TT from Leanne, so we can continue as always! You'll be on my list anyway.
Thanks for visiting my picture TT.

Anonymous said...

That's definitely cool! :) Thank you for sharing. I knew most of those were named after people, but I certainly didn't know the who or history.

Thank you!

Rhian said...

I had decided to continue it as well - it's my one disciplined post a week - well sorta. The whole naming process is interesting - I have a client who is a land developer and he just started naming lakes and roads in the community after his relatives. Must be nice to have the power.

Unknown said...

Very interesting list. I really enjoyed reading it. I found #10 especially interesting. I would love to visit it one day!
I'm very sad to see T13 gone. I'll be sure to stop by for a visit.
Happy Thursday!

Ms. George said...

I love this post and I know of another Thirteener who would also, Elementary History Teacher. Thanks for visiting my TT.

Anonymous said...

I didn't know most of them either.

Joely Sue Burkhart said...

Sigh, happy last TT.

Anthony said...

That's a very cool list. I learned a few things. Never knew the source of Purdue or Austin or very much about Rittenhouse.

Do you think it was easier to be an inventor in the 1700s, when there was so much stuff left to invent?

alisonwonderland said...

interesting stuff that i'd really not thought much about before. i'm going to #9 in the summer, so i'll have to be sure to recite that information! i'll sound so smart! :o)

happy thursday!

Robin said...

Very interesting link. Thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

Apparently, I missed this report. Must be they talked about that AFTER Anna and Britney!!!!

Neila said...

Wow! I love the TT's that teach me something. :-) Kudos to doing the research for that one!

Liz Hill said...

TT lives to fight another day!!

Great list btw--

Marcia (MeeAugraphie) said...

I knew Austin and Ringling, but not much of the others. Interesting list.