Druggist
Centurion, 1866–1875
Born 18 February 1816 in New York (All Boroughs), New York
Died 3 October 1875 in New York (Manhattan), New York
Buried Trinity Church Cemetery and Mausoleum
, Manhattan, New York
Proposed by Henry Peters Gray and Edward Slosson
Elected 2 June 1866 at age fifty
Archivist’s Note: Birthdate calculated from his reported age at death of 59 years, 7 months, and 13 days. Father-in-law of Chauncey M. Depew.
Proposer of:
Century Memorials
The list of deceased members contains the names in the order of their loss, of Hays, Sherwood, Strong, Gaillard, Tillman, Stone, Kemble, Hegeman, Turney and Blodgett. The memorial notices, prepared and presented by your direction, express our appreciation of those we have lost with an earnestness of feeling and an appropriateness of phrase to which your Board can have nothing to add.
Augustus R. Macdonough
1876 Century Association Reports
The Century, and especially those of its members who met Mr. William Hegeman at our last meeting, have little need to be reminded of his worth. It is within the knowledge of us all, that he commanded the highest esteem by integrity of character, and by scientific and literary acquirements, which gained for him the respect of men of culture in many and varied pursuits.
By his knowledge of chemistry, and by his promotion of scientific studies, while President of the College of Pharmacy, he raised the standard of his profession.
Amid the cares of business, he cultivated a taste for letters and art. He was not only a student and a critic of painting, but he amused his leisure by a not unsuccessful practice of the art. A judge of music, he was also a proficient who gave pleasure by his performance in the social circle. His genial humor gave additional attractiveness to his extensive information and practical wisdom. His sound judgment was eagerly sought and readily given, in aid of some of the best benevolent institutions of the day. His professional pursuits enabled him to know something of the distress of a great city, and his counsel and liberality were never wanting in its alleviation.
During the last ten years, Mr. Hegeman was a constant attendant at the Century. As one of the “House Committee,” he was a watchful guardian of our interests, neglecting no duty of his place. In the enjoyment of our last social meeting he passed the latest hours of his conscious life. His name will be honored, not by the Century alone, but far beyond its limits, wherever his benevolence was so actively and usefully displayed.
Henry C. Dorr, Henry R. Winthrop, and Augustus R. Macdonough
1875 Century Association Memorial Notices
