. Early years in Smyrna and our first Old home week. k port and at the University ofRochester. After his graduation he served as principal of theWebster Academy and in the Spring Valley High School. In1889 Mr. Willcox was graduated with high honors from theColumbia Law School and was admitted to the Bar in this time he became interested in Sociology and Politicaland Economic matters, and wrote several articles on these subjects,and devoted much time and energy in work among the boys onthe East Side. Mr. Willcoxs first appearance in the political field was in1900 when he became the R
. Early years in Smyrna and our first Old home week. k port and at the University ofRochester. After his graduation he served as principal of theWebster Academy and in the Spring Valley High School. In1889 Mr. Willcox was graduated with high honors from theColumbia Law School and was admitted to the Bar in this time he became interested in Sociology and Politicaland Economic matters, and wrote several articles on these subjects,and devoted much time and energy in work among the boys onthe East Side. Mr. Willcoxs first appearance in the political field was in1900 when he became the Republican candidate for Congress inthe Thirteenth District against O. H. P. Belmont, and it was atthis time he made the phenomenal record of reducing theDemocratic majority from seven or eight thousand to threethousand. In 1901 Mayor Low appointed Mr. Willcox as Park Com-missioner and for two years he served as President of thisBoard. The work of establishing playgrounds for children wasfirst undertaken during Mr. Willcoxs administration, and in 26. WILLIAM R WILLCOX. Our First Old Home Week this work he was closely associated with Joseph A. Riis andother prominent East Side workers. During his entire term asCommissioner he was known as the man who does things,and in no way was this so well proven as when on March 8th,1903, Commissioner Willcox, with forty laborers and a squadof policemen raided the contractors strongest outpost in BryantPark and destroyed the obnoxious stone crusher which wasbeing operated by the subway contractors in defiance of repeatedwarnings from the Department, thus restoring Bryant Park, CityHall Park and Union Square to their normal conditions aspublic parks. Mr. Willcox was also intrusted with unusualresponsibilities in the direction of large expenditures pertainingto the construction of the Public Library in Bryant Park, theaddition to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the extensionsof the American Museum of History. The new Postmaster is a member
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