William Hopping Seely
Personal
Gender: Male
Date of Birth: November 27, 1880
Birth Place: Port Monmouth, Monmouth County, NJ
WILLIAM HOPPING SEELY – The almost limitless channels and the varied interests of publicity have had in Mr. Seely a thorough exponent during the series of years in which he has shared in that domain of the business world, whether in newspaper, insurance or leading specialty concern. Newark itself being a widely representative city in an original and diversified advertising field, Mr. Seely has found here an abundance of activity, and has for a quarter of a century kept at the front with Newark’s publicity matters, giving such an added value and larger vitality through his own energy and business ability, and in particular in his management of the affairs of the Celebrated Osborne Calendar Company. He is a son of Uriah and Nancy (Hopping) Seely, the latter of whom died in 1910. Uriah Seely, now in his eighty-fifth year, who shows a remarkably well preserved constitution at this ripe old age, was a manufacturer of drug specialties, until his retirement from business in 1906.
William Hopping Seely was born November 27, 1880, at Port Monmouth, Monmouth County, New Jersey, after attending the Franklin School, and graduating from the high school at East Orange, New Jersey, he matriculated at Colgate University, Hamilton, New York, whence after a year of study he entered upon his first business activities in the newspaper field. In 1899, he was associated with the “Newark Evening News” as a reporter, and from there he went to the “new York World” to fill a position in the business office of that newspaper. He left there in 1905 to go to California, where he accepted a position with the Pacific Mutual Life Insurance Company, as an advertising writer and insurance salesman, and in which he met with pronounced success at the outset. He returned to Newark, after the San Francisco fire, and joined the staff of the “Newark Advertiser” in the capacity of special writer, and it was while he was with the “advertiser” that he assisted in the organization of the “Newark Star,” which became a very successful journal at that time, due to Mr. Seely’s aid and enterprise. He continued with these newspapers up to 1910, when he accepted a position with the Celebrated Osborne Company. He is secretary and general sales manager of the concern. He is also a member of the board of directors of the American Colortype Company, vice-president of the American Friendly Greetings Company, etc.
Mr. Seely’s fraternal affiliations are those of St. John’s Lodge, No. 1, Free and Accepted Masons; and Forest Hill Chapter, Royal Arch Masons. His business, club, and patriotic associations are with the State of New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, in associate membership, Newark Chamber of Commerce, of whose board of directors he is a member, Glen Ridge Country Club, Down Town Club of Newark, Newark Athletic Club. He is a communicant of St. Mark’s Protestant Episcopal Church in Newark. He is also a member of the Sons of the American Revolution.
Mr. Seely married, June 18, 1908, at Atlanta, Georgia, Edith Van Hook, a daughter of William and Emily (Moore) Van Hook, and they are the parents of three children, Fred Collins, born January 20, 1910; William Hopping, born February 7, 1912; Anne, born April 12, 1915.
Pages 298 – 299, “The Municipalities of Essex County New Jersey 1666 – 1924.” By Joseph Fulford Folsom, Benedict Fitzpatrick, Edwin P Conklin, Volume I, 1925, Lewis Historical Publishing Company, Inc, New York
[William Hopping; Uriah; James Edmond; John; Unknown]
