John Charles Stone was born in Bone Gap on January 11, 1867,the oldest child of James Scott Stone and Elizabeth Sarah Hocking. His father traced his roots back to Somerset County, England and his mother to Cornwall County, England. He became an eminent author of mathematics textbooks which were adopted for exclusive use in many states and cities. He authored or co-authored some seventy textbooks in all forms of arithmetic and geometry and was recognized for his ability to make students enjoy and like mathematics. He wrote many of his math books in Greensboro, Vermont on Caspian Lake. He retired in 1934 after fifteen years as Chairman of the Mathematics Department at the State Teachers’ College in Montclair, NJ, where a dormitory is named in his honor. He died in 1940 in St. Petersburg, Florida and was buried in Greensboro, Vermont. He was listed in Who’s Who in America in every edition from 1912 to 1942 and in Who Was Who Volume 1.
From Montclair State University website: “Both students and faculty appear in the photographs. Alongside Mabel Smith (who taught penmanship and mathematics), we see Hygiene teacher Miss Curtis and Florence Stryker who taught History. Most noteworthy is Professor John C. Stone, head of the Mathematics Department. Stone Hall was named in Professor Stone’s honor. He was a prolific publisher of mathematics textbooks. It is estimated that one of every five schoolchildren in the United States was using math textbooks that Stone had written by the time he retired in 1934. Copies of Professor Stone’s textbooks can be found in Sprague Library’s Special Collections.”
Here is a quote from the 2016 President’s Opening Day Address at Montclair State University.
“In the residential life area, Stone Hall is once again open this year as a residence hall. The building was built in 1955 and named for John C. Stone, a highly regarded mathematics professor. Before it was taken off-line in 2011 upon the opening of the new Heights residence buildings, Stone Hall had gone through an extremely eventful half-century as a residence hall and had worked itself into a state of astonishing disrepair. But even in its ragged condition, something in the DNA of the building has always nurtured a tight community feeling among its residents. For some portion of its history, it was only for men and the social hub of the football team. Later, it became co-ed and, somewhat reluctantly I am told, began to take on a gentler character. But in all its iterations, for reasons that are mysterious, students have always loved humble and somewhat decrepit Stone Hall, and so we are very pleased to open the building this term once again to 145 students who will bring Stone back to life and enjoy a beautifully renovated facility. We trust that, once again, what was called over the years Stonee Pride will once again become a tradition for the next generation of students.”
Thank you so much for sharing this. I have very much enjoyed reading about your visit and Stone Hall.
I trust that pride in the Stone DNA will long continue.
Thanks also for the updated website which is so fascinating and clear. JCS2 inspired me with his attention to detail.
He revealed very little about his own father however and I should love to know more if possible.