MORGAN'S HISTORY OF THE NEW JERSEY CONFERENCE Page 234
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
BENJAMIN W. ARNETT,
secretary of the General Conference for the second term May 20, 1880. He was elected financial secretary without solicitation. His name was only suggested about twenty minutes before the election. He was elected and qualified, by giving a bond of $10,000 for the faithful performance of his duty. Among his bondsmen are Henry Milton Barnes, Secretary of State; Hon. George K. Nash, Attorney General of State; A. T. Wykoff, Pension Agent; Gen. C. C. Walcott, Collector of Internal Revenue; F. C. Session, President of Commercial Bank, Columbus, Ohio; Hon. G. G. Collins, Mayor of Columbus; Rev. W. A. J. Phillips, James M. Steward, John T. Jones, Rev. T. B. Caldwell, Rev. John W. Asbury, Prof. W. O. Bowles, Prof. A. C. Duell, Rev. S. H. Robertson, and John King.
He is a trustee of Wilberforce University. He was Grand Director of the Grand United Order of Odd Fellows of the United States. He was the first colored foreman of a jury, where all were white men, in Toledo, in 1872. He was an active member in political conventions, and has been made chairman on several occasions of committee on resolutions. He was appointed a delegate to the international convention of Sunday-schools, and also a delegate to the international convention of Young Men's Christian Associations in Washington City, in 1871. Mr. Arnett is yet a young man; he has steadily climbed upward among his people, and is to-day a leader.
He was married by Rev. George Brown, President of Madison College, Uniontown, Pennsylvania, May 25, 1858, to Miss Mary Louisa Gordon. To them have been born six children, namely: Alonzo T. A. Arnett, who is now a student at Wilberforce University; Benjamin W. Arnett, Jr., now a student at Wilberforce University; Henry Young Arnett, now in the training school at Wilberforce, and Anna Louisa Arnett, who is a bright-eyed, pleasant faced girl of thirteen summers. Alphonso Taft was born May 26, 1879, while his father was at the State Convention laboring to have Hon. Alphonso Taft nominated for Governor of Ohio, so on his return home he named him for the favorite candidate. Flossa Gordon was born April 13, 1881. Dr. Arnett has written two or three books: "The Semi-Centenary of Methodism in Cincinnati, Ohio;" "Centennial Sermon and Statistics of Urbana, Ohio." He has the following manuscripts ready for
Rev. B. T. Tanner, D. D.
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