Seabury Cone Mastick

SEABURY CONE MASTICK (1871-1969)

Seabury Cone Mastick was born on August 19, 1871, in San Francisco, California, the son of William Henry Cone and Laura Jeanette Mastick Cone. Orphaned early in life, he was adopted by his mother's brother and his wife, Seabury L. Mastick and Mary Wood Mastick (n.d.). He spent his childhood in the San Francisco area, attending the Hopkins Academy in Oakland, California, before entering Oberlin College in 1887. After graduation (A.B. 1891), he returned to California to study law at the University of California Hastings School of Law, receiving his LLB in 1894. He also received an A.M. Degree from Oberlin in 1894. Admitted to the bar that same year, he practiced law in San Francisco until 1896, and then in New York City until 1917. He specialized in patent litigation. During 1912-17, he also studied chemistry at Columbia University and in 1916, published a book, Chemical Patents. That year Oberlin College awarded him an honorary A.M.

In 1917 he became an officer in the United States Navy rising to the rank of Lieutenant Commander before his retirement in 1920. During his World War I naval service, he was given sole responsibility for the development and manufacture of high velocity star shell artillery ammunition used for illuminating purposes. At that time, these were only such shells in the world, and the Navy awarded him the Silver Star citation for his invention. Beginning in 1920, he worked in New York City as a manufacturer of chemicals, serving as Vice President of the Warner Chemical Company until 1928 and Director from 1930. He was President of Westvaco Chlorine Products, 1922-27.

In 1921, he entered politics (Member of the New York State Assembly, 1921-22; New York State Senator, 1923-35) and began perhaps the most significant aspect of his career, public service. Although a staunch Republican representing the heavily Republican and conservative Westchester county, his experiences during the great depression led him to take socially progressive positions, becoming known as a Depression-Era Reformer. While in office he sponsored a bill to allow women to sit on juries; a bill to create a state liquor monopoly after the repeal of Prohibition, and a bill to establish a system of state unemployment compensation. He was the author of an old-age pension bill that provided small pensions for persons over 70. It was signed by Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1930. He led unsuccessful attempts to limit women and minors to a forty-eight hour work week and to bar detectives from divorce proceedings. He labored to eliminate ineffective and costly government offices throughout the state.

In 1930, Lieutenant Governor Herbert H. Lehman (d. 1963) appointed Seabury Mastick chairman of a special committee to study tax reforms. His service on this committee, which lasted until 1938, well beyond his legislative term, garnered him political and personal prominence. He argued against limiting real-estate taxes to 1.75%, arguing that government spending would inevitably increase and other tax sources would pay a disproportionate share of the costs. With Mayor Fiorella La Guardia (d. 1947), he fought for home rule for the city and the right of the city to create housing authorities to clear massive slums. In 1946, he guided a commission that abolished the Tenement Housing Law in NYC and substituted the Multiple Dwelling Law which set modern standards for air, light, and fire protection.

On leaving the New York State legislature, Seabury Mastick entered banking, serving as President of the Mt. Pleasant Bank and Trust Company (Mt. Pleasant, New York) from 1936-43; Director of the County Trust Company of White Plains, New York from 1943-47 and Advisory Director of the County Trust Company, Pleasantville, NY from 1935-58. During World War II he also worked as Chairman of the Army and Navy Committee of the National Board of the YMCA, a position which made him executive head of the YMCA-USO agency and necessitated his visiting YMCA-USO units throughout the United States. Other service to the YMCA included membership on its national board, national council, and international committee.

For several years, Seabury Mastick served as President of the New York School for the Deaf (1943-47); Vice President of Camp Cloane, a YMCA camp in Connecticut (1936-47); Supervisor of Mount Pleasant (1940); and as an advocate for conservation projects. He was successful in his efforts to establish Harriman State Park. For his unstinting service to government and the public and private sectors, Pacific University (Forest Grove, Oregon) awarded Seabury Mastick an honorary Doctor of Science degree in 1952; and Wagner College (Staten Island, New York) the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws in 1953. New York State awarded him the Conspicuous Service Cross (n.d.).

Seabury Cone Mastick met his future wife, Agnes Eliza Warner, in 1888 when they were undergraduates at Oberlin College. Agnes, born in McGrawville, NY on February 22, 1872, was the daughter of Dr. Lucien Calvin Warner (A.B., 1865; A.M., '70; LLD '00), donor of the first Warner Concert Hall in 1884. The couple married on October 1, 1896 and shared an active, life-long interest in social political and religious matters, education of young people, and especially their alma mater. Both served Oberlin College alumni groups both off and on campus. In 1961, their generous donation enabled the construction of the new Warner Concert Hall, named in memory of Mrs. Mastick's parents. In 1964, Mr. Mastick established the Seabury Cone and Agnes Warner Mastick Scholarships, annual awards covering the financial needs of two entering freshmen, renewable for four years. In recognition of their outstanding service and generosity, Oberlin College granted Agnes Mastick the Alumni Service Medal in 1954 in appreciation of her outstanding contributions to the college; in 1962, it awarded honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters degrees to both Agnes Warner and Seabury Cone Mastick. Mr. Mastick has previously received an honorary A. M. from Oberlin in 1916.

Mr. and Mrs. Mastick had no children. They were active members of the Episcopal Church. In retirement, they divided their time between Pleasantville, New York and Sarasota, Florida. Agnes Warner Mastick died November 8, 1963. The following year, Seabury Mastick married Kathrin Cawein, a longtime friend and caretaker for Agnes. She was an accomplished artist, and Oberlin College recognized her talents by granting her an honorary degree in 1966 at the commencement ceremonies for which her husband gave the address. An exhibition of her prints, drawings, and pastels was held in Mudd Learning Center at Oberlin College in May/June, 1975.

Seabury Cone Mastick died in Manchester, England on August 21, 1969.

A photograph and biographical information about Seabury Cone Mastick are included in the digital collection “Oberlin College and Military Service in World War I,” presented by the Oberlin College Archives.

http://www.oberlin.edu/archive/holdings/finding/RG30/SG350/biograph...

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I63 SEABURY CONE MASTICK 3567

New York.

Attorney-at-law. Born in the City and County of San Francisco, Cal., July 19, 1871.

Son of William Henry Cone and Laura Jeanette (Mastick). Adopted by Seabury L. Mastick, whose name he took.

Grandson of Benjamin Mastick and Eliza (Tomlinson).

Great-grandson of BENJAMIN MASTICK and Cynthia (Wood).

BENJAMIN MASTICK died in Geanga Co., Ohio, June 6, 1830. He appears with the rank of Private on the Muster Roll of Capt. Mellen's Company, Col. Ward's Regiment, in which he enlisted April 26, 1775. He served for three months and thirteen days. In 1776 he enlisted as a Private in Capt. Gardner's Company, Col. Brook's Regiment, and soon after his enlistment was wounded. He was encamped at Cambridge, Mass., June 18, 1775, and was present at the Battle of Bennington, and there received a wound for which he afterward received a pension.

(Mass. Rev, Rolls, Vol. 15, p. 71; Vol. 56, p. 219; Vol. 73, p. 14; Vol. 19, p. 118. Pension Roll of the Rev. Army.)

http://www.calarchives4u.com/organizations/sar/sar-members-jp.txt