William Wooster Buckingham, who occupies a place in the front ranks among the wholesale merchants of New Haven, is now vice president of the F. K. Fowler Company, wholesale dealers in wooden ware and glassware. Commercial enterprise finds expression in his life, for he has made rapid advancement, rising to a most creditable position, and the course which he has followed and the policy which he has pursued are such that New Haven is proud to number him among her native sons.

Mr. Buckingham was born April 4, 1863, and represents one of the old Connecticut families, his great-grandparents being Nathan and Silena (Lewis) Buckingham. Their son. Nathan Lewis Buckingham, was born about 1792 and married Clarissa Wooster. Henry Buckingham, who was one of their six children, was born February 29, 1828, in Oxford, Connecticut, and acquired his education in the public schools there. He was a youth of seventeen when he came to New Haven, where for several years he was employed by D. W. Buckingham and later by Jeremiah Atwater. He afterward engaged in the retail butchering business in Derby, Connecticut, but soon returned to New Haven, where he established a grocery store. At the time of the Civil war he went to the south as sutler with a Rhode Island regiment and after the close of hostilities turned his attention to the real estate business in New Haven, where he resided for more than forty years, and spent the last six years in retirement from active business. He married Abbie Ogden (Phillips) Curtis, the widow of Reuben Curtis. She was born in Fairfield, Connecticut, July 16, 1830, and died while visiting in Boston, January 28, 1901. For several years she had survived Mr. Buckingham, whose death occurred November 7, 1893. They were the parents of four sons.

William Wooster Buckingham, the third in order of birth, acquired a public school education and in early manhood went to Georgia, being engaged in manganese mining at Cartersville for two years. He afterward returned to New Haven and became connected with F. S. Bradley, a wholesale hardware merchant. In time the business became that of Buck-ingham, Clark & Jackson and eventually the Buckingham Hardware Company, the two formations dating from 1900, at which time William W. Buckingham became the treasurer and general manager. He continued to act in that capacity until 1903, when the business was sold to the Bronson & Townsend Company of New Haven, Mr. Buckingham afterward went upon the road as a traveling salesman, representing a New York house for two years. He was afterward with the William Filene's Sons Company of Boston in an executive position for three years and in 1910 he became one of the incorporators and the vice president of the F. E. Fowler Company, wholesale dealers in wooden ware and glassware in New Haven. Through the intervening period a business of considerable magnitude has been de-veloped and the methods employed rank the institution with the leading commercial interests of New Haven. Well defined plans and purposes underlie the gradual development of the business and intelligent direction of effort has brought forth gratifying results. The proprietors have ever been careful to conform their interests to the highest standards of commercial ethics, have thoroughly studied general trade conditions as well as conditions bearing directly upon their personal interests and by their enterprising methods and close application have developed one of the leading wholesale activities of the city.

Mr. Buckingham was married on the 24th of September, 1888, to Mrs. Laura Stevens Morey, of Mayville, New York, and they have become the parents of three children, Lenora Bishop, Charles Wooster and Waitstill William.

Mr. Buckingham has long taken an active interest in military affairs and was a member of the New Haven Grays from 1885 until 1890 and of the Second Company of the Governor's Foot Guard from 1893 until 1900. He is now a member of the Second Regiment of the Reserve Company of the Home Guard of New Haven with the rank of captain. He belongs to the Sons of the American Revolution and to the Grays' Veteran Association. His political endorsement is given to the republican party. His interests thus cover a wide range and his activities have always been directed in channels through which flows the greatest good to the greatest number.