MORSE, SAMUEL FINLEY BREESE, LL.n., etc., American artist and inventor, was the eldest son of rev. Jedidiah Morse, D.D., geographer, and was b. at Charlestown, Mass., April 27, 1791. He graduated at Yale college in 1810, and visited England with the American painter, Washington Allston, to stildy painting with him an.1 Benjamin West. In 1813 he received the gold medal of the Adelphi society of arts for his first effort in sculpture, the "Dying Hercules." Returning to New York in 1815, lie became • the first president of the national academy of de sign, and was appointed professor of the arts of design in the university of the city of New York. He did not give his entire attention to art, but was interested in chemistry, and especially in electrical and galvanic experiments; and on a voyage from Havre to New York, in 1832, he conceived the idea of a magnetic telegraph, which he exhibited to congress in 1837, and vainly attempted to patent in England. His claims to priority of
invention over prof. Wheatstone in England have been the subject of considerable Controversy. See TELEGRAPIL He struggled on with scanty means until 1S43, when, as he had almost yielded to despair. congress, at midnight, and the last moments of the session, appropriated 30.000 dollars for an experimental line between Washington mina Boit imam. For his telegraphic inventions, Morse was rewarded by testimonials, honors, orders of nobility, and wealth. Several European states joined in presenting him a purse of 400,000 francs, and banquets were given him in London and Paris. The well-known recording instrument is his invention. The origination of submarine telegraphy is also claimed for Morse. He died April 2, 1872.