Hubert Wood

Hubert Wood, a rising native born lawyer of Grand Rapids, Mich., is a son of Isaac W. and Mary R. (Russell) Wood, who came from Massachusetts to this city in 1868. Isaac W. Wood was a well educated gentleman and was bred a lawyer, but ill health precluded the practice of his profession, two years’ work at the bar sufficing to convince him that his constitution was not sufficiently robust to justify his continuance in that field of labor. Consequently, he came west and engaged in merchandizing and milling, being

occupied in the latter vocation at the time of his most lamented death, which occurred May 24, 1889, at Grand Rapids, where his widow still resides. In politics Mr. Wood was a republican, and religion a Congregationalist. To Isaac W. and Mary R. Wood were born two children, viz: Mary E., attending Smith college, in Massachusetts, and Willard Hubert, whose name opens this biographical sketch.

W. Hubert Wood was born August 7, 1869, and received his elementary education in the city schools of Grand Rapids. At the age of eighteen years he entered Williston seminary, East Hampton, Mass., studied one year, and then matriculated at Amherst college, took the full course of four years, and was graduated with the degree of A. B. in 1893. On his return to Grand Rapids he was employed one year as a reporter on the Democrat; he passed the following year in study in the law office of W. J. Stuart, was then examined before the court, and was admitted to the bar by Judge Adsit May 20, 1895. Until 1897 he practiced alone, but in February of that year became associated with Railroad Commissioner S. Wesselious, an arrangement which continued with a satisfactory general law practice, until September 1, 1899, since then Mr. Wood has been alone.

Mr. Wood is a republican in politics and is very active in his efforts to promote his party’s interest. He was president of the Young Men’s Republican club at Grand Rapids during the McKinley campaign in 1896, and in that position displayed a consummate executive ability that stamped him as in available man for future emergencies. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias lodge at Grand Rapids and of the high school Gamma Delta Psi society; was a charter member of the High School association, and for two years was president of the Alumni association; he is also a member of the Chi Phi fraternity of Amherst