Arthur Dudley Vinton


Arthur Dudley Vinton was an author and lawyer.

Early life

Dudley Vinton, as he was called, was born in Brooklyn, New York on December 23, 1852. He was the third son of the Reverend Dr. Francis Vinton and his second wife, Elizabeth Mason Vinton. His father, who was previously married to Maria Bowen Whipple, was a well-known pastor affiliated with the Trinity Church in Newport and Trinity Church in lower Manhattan.
His maternal grandparents were Elizabeth Champlin Perry and Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, who was known as "The Hero of Lake Erie." His paternal grandparents were Mary Vinton and David Vinton. His paternal aunt, Elizabeth Vinton, was married to Union Army Gen. George S. Greene, and was the father of Francis Vinton Greene.
Arthur Vinton attended the Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute then joined the United States Navy and became a Col. A.D.V. Midshipman before attending college. He graduated from Columbia Law School.

Career

After graduation from law school, Vinton worked at Evarts, Southmayd & Choate, before starting a law firm in 1879 with two wealthy classmates, his cousin, Perry Belmont, and George Griswold Frelinghuysen. The firm of Vinton, Belmont & Frelinghuysen lasted about five years. Belmont was elected to the House of Representatives and Frelinghuysen married into the Ballantine family and soon became president of the Ballantine Brewing company.
When his friend Lloyd Bryce, whom he met at Columbia Law, became the editor of the North American Review in 1889, Vinton abandoned the law and began working there and contributing. He also invented an automatic railway signal.

Personal life

Vinton died in Manhattan on September 12, 1906. After a funeral service at Belmont Chapel, he was buried at Island Cemetery in Newport, Rhode Island.

Published works