The Berles

[flea]

So, Theodore Protas Berle, my great-grandfather. What I know off-hand of him, largely by report of my grandmother, is he was a strict authoritarian, of German heritage, born in St. Louis, more than 20 years older than his wife, whom he met and apparently decided he would one day marry when she was 8 years old.

Here's what Google tells me.

First, the genealogical web site of my father's first cousin, Kenneth Coar. (http://coar.org/GEDCOM/d0000/g0000000.html_
He was born 11 March 1862 in St. Louis, and died 13 October 1956 in Reading, MA. His parents are listed as Protas Berle and Elizabeth Cornelius.

[1991-04-22, Candace Lucille Coar]
Theodore was a friend of Avis' father, and met her when she was a very
young girl. He arranged with her father to pay for her education and
upbringing, followed by marriage - which plan was followed. He was a
scary old man when Candace was about 4. He had been ill, and seemed
immensely tall and bony, with a bristly beard (she had to kiss him). He
smelled sick.

NOTES:
[1993-04-19, from notes by Edward Sears Castle]
'THEODORE PROTAS BERLE was educated for the ministry, I think
primarily at Oberlin, and was for some years a Congregational minister
in Woburn, Mass., and elsewhere. After he married Avis Wheeler Hill in
1907 they lived briefly in New York City, then settled in Reading, Mass.,
and he entered the insurance business in Boston. Four daughters were
born to the Berles: Marjorie Parkinson (Mrs. Everett Eugene Black), 1908;
Natalie Watson (Mrs. Edward Sears Castle), 1911; Dorothy Wheeler (Mrs.
George Hawkins Acheson), 1913; Cecilie Bristol (Mrs. Richard J. Coar),
1921. After Theodore's death in 1956, Avis lived on for several years in
their Reading home, finally removing to Florida to be near her youngest
daughter.'

Thanks to the wonders of Google Books and the tendency of academia to publish long reports and directories, I can document most of his education.

Oberlin College, A.B. 1890, A.M. 1893.
In the General Catalogue of Oberlin College 1833-1908, he is listed as "'86-87 prep." and "'87-90 coll." - presumably one did a preparatory year before beginning a BA at this point? Note his brother Adolf Augustus Berle was also listed. He is listed as working in Life Insurance in New York, with an address of 154 Nassau Street; his date and place of birth and marriage are also noted.
http://books.google.com/books?id=_cbQGCgUbJMC&pg=RA1-PA80&lpg=RA1-PA80&dq=theodore+protas+berle&source=bl&ots=rm8lgF29_Q&sig=_g-7dcVF52XnLQcTc5vuR3DwYWQ&hl=en&ei=svw9TJazBYGBlAfbx8X3BQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CCwQ6AEwBjgK#v=onepage&q=theodore%20protas%20berle&f=false

Yale, attended 1890-92.
In the 1920 Yale Directory he is listed as a non-graduate of the classes of 1893-94. There is a notation "1890-92 rf" and "[Fin."]". His home address is also listed as 126 Ash Street, Reading MA. http://www.ebooksread.com/authors-eng/yale-university/alumni-directory-of-yale-university-graduates-and-non-graduates-1920-hci/page-80-alumni-directory-of-yale-university-graduates-and-non-graduates-1920-hci.shtml

Andover Theological Seminary, 1893.
Reported in the NYT on June 16, 1893, he participated in the 85th commencement and delivered a speech titled, "The Industrial Necessity: More Leisure, More Motive, More Law." http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=9B0DE5D91431E033A25755C1A9609C94629ED7CF
He appears as a Senior Student in the 1892-93 catalog of the seminary: http://books.google.com/books?id=RkhNAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA7&lpg=PA7&dq=theodore+protas+berle&source=bl&ots=DkyCyKKZKW&sig=MkI-euJ9KX-y1_f-0uPZ7vy0CDc&hl=en&ei=svw9TJazBYGBlAfbx8X3BQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBYQ6AEwADgK#v=onepage&q=theodore%20protas%20berle&f=false

Harvard, A.M., 1896.
In the 1920 catalog of graduates of Harvard he is so listed on p. 583; it is noted he has an A.B. 1890 from Oberlin and an A. M. from Oberlin as well, and the Andover degree. http://books.google.com/books?id=YFsjAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA583&lpg=PA583&dq=theodore+protas+berle&source=bl&ots=OTg_3WjA1F&sig=3hAcNUJRDXgB2o5_0OtVw-I5ETE&hl=en&ei=ufQ9TJzIMYP6lweh0735BQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CCsQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=theodore%20protas%20berle&f=false
He seems to have done some more graduate work at Harvard, according to a 1919 directory: "g 94-95, A.M. 96; dv 95-96; g 97-98; dv 97-98. Fin." http://books.google.com/books?id=UhFOAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA52&lpg=PA52&dq=theodore+protas+berle&source=bl&ots=vC0DEj1V9S&sig=B3xnERUUpKEc1sLHX-tBAas1ERU&hl=en&ei=svw9TJazBYGBlAfbx8X3BQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CDYQ6AEwCTgK#v=onepage&q=theodore%20protas%20berle&f=false

Comments

[sara]

more than 20 years older than his wife, whom he met and apparently decided he would one day marry when she was 8 years old.

Wow. That's creepy. DEEPLY CREEPY.

[flea]

That was pretty much my grandmother's take, yeah.

[sara]

And what do you suppose her father was thinking? Apparently what a great way to save on tuition, which is...AUGH.

I'm glad the DEEPLY CREEPINESS seems to have been bred out of your people.

[cofax7]

SERIOUSLY CREEPY. Esp. with the paying for her tuition etc.

I am reminded unpleasantly of Daddy Longlegs, except this was worse. Ew.

[sara]

Oh gah, I knew there was a novel where this happened but I couldn't think what it was.