Theodore Strong

Theodore Strong (January 15, 1863 – December 24, 1928) was an American lawyer and politician. Early life Strong was born on January 15, 1863, in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He was the third son of Harriet Anna (née Hartwell) Strong (1827–1909) and Benjamin Ruggles Woodbridge Strong (1827–1907), presiding justice of the Court of Common Pleas of Middlesex County. Among his older siblings was brothers Edward Woodbridge Strong; Alan Hartwell Strong, who married Susan De Lancey Cullen Van Rensselaer; and Joseph Maltby Strong. Reportedly, his father caught "gold fever" in 1849, and journeyed to California, and is "credited with being among the pioneers who made gold discoveries in Oregon." His paternal grandfather was the prominent mathematician, Theodore Strong, who was raised by his wealthy uncle Benjamin Ruggles Woodbridge (the namesake of his father). Through his father, he was a direct descendant of Governor Thomas Dudley, and Rev. John Woodbridge, who came to Massachusetts in 1634. Through his mother, he was a descendant of William Hartwell, who came to Plymouth County, Massachusetts in 1636. Strong received his education at Rutgers College Grammar School and graduated from Rutgers University as a member of the class of 1883.