| 1. | Michael (Alexander) Agelasto was born on 10 Mar 1869 in Syros, Cyclades Islands, Greece; died on 20 Sep 1949 in Norfolk, Virginia USA; was buried on 21 Sep 1949 in Elmwood Cemetery, Norfolk, Virginia, USA. Notes:
Michael Agelasto, my great-uncle, for whom I was named, worked in cotton brokerage, which he thoroughly detested, according to my mother. Known as Mickey, he was educated as both an engineer and medical doctor, but he practiced neither of these professions. The middle of the three brothers, it was he who never married and had the responsibility to take care of his mother who did not die until Mickey was himself 65 years old. Mickey was fluent in several languages, including classical Greek, and he managed to flee to Europe for summer vacations, leaving his mother, I suspect, to his siblings' management.
Occupation, Norfolk, Va.: 1896-1898 electrical engnr 29 Plume; 1899 151 Granby; 1900 108 Ferebee, Jones & Co. Bldg; 1901 elecrical engnr; 1902 3d av cor Front; 1903-1909 42 Front; 1910-1914 gen mngr Atlantic Mnfg Co; 1915-1916 cotton; 1917-1931 supt Norfolk Cotton Co. Inc.; also with J.S. Jenkins & Co., Nofolk, cotton brokers.
Vice-consul for Greece 1888-1891 (Norfolk Directory). M. Agelasto listed as Greek consul, Norfolk, Dun and Bradstreet Publications Corporation, 1917.
Residence: Baltimore, MD 1890, student, 205 W. Madison; 1891-91, student, 914 McCulloh; Norfolk, Va.: 1896-1897 18 York; 1897-1912 54 York; 1913-1917 426 W York; 1918-1923 800 Armistead Bridge Rd; 1924 206 W Princess Anne Rd; 1925-1931 602/604 Fairfax Av; 1927 & 1930, 4-C Hague Apartments, 606 Fairfax Ave; 1941Heart o' Ghent Hotel; May 1947 Henry Clay Inn, [Ashland, Va.]; 319 W Freemason St.; Mar 48 Waverly Hotel & Jefferson Hotel, VA Beach; Aug-Oct 1948 rm 509 Hotel Southland, Granby St.; Mar 49 Hotel Mileuor, Granby St.
Education: 1888-91, BA, St Johns College [Johns Hopkins University], Annapolis MD, USA ( 14 Jun 1891, p 24); 1891-92, graduate studies, Electrical Engineering, St Johns College [Johns Hopkins University]Annapolis , MD, USA; 1892-1893, AM [medicine], Columbia University, NYC, USA
Naturalization: Citizenship granted 2 Apr 1906, no. 9267, signed by Elihu Root, Secretary of State; height indicated as 5’4”. Passport application filed 31 March 1906 in advance of 3 April 1906 sailing. The 1900 census says he immigrated to the US in 1877.
Patent #571,426, Electric Thermometer, 17 Nov. 1896
Travel: 18 June 1888: Liverpool to Queenstown, NY, on Umbria, Cunard Line; 3 April 1906, from New York, on S.S. Barbarossa; 1 June 1906, Naples to New York on Konig Albert; 10 May 1907, Cherbourg, France to New York, on Kaiser Wilhelm; 23 Aug 1927: Hamburg, Germany to Philadelphia, PA, on Denderah. NB: he was not with his parents and older brother, 7 Oct. 1869, Liverpool to NYC aboard China.
Appears in a photo with his brothers, taken in Memphis in 1870, where his father was a founding member of the Memphis Cotton Exchange (George Scrini collection). The boys are, from left to right: Alexander Michael, Peter and Michael.
He is listed (Box 485, Norfolk, Va.) Jan 1903, as a member/associate of the American branch of The Society For Psychical Research. See, Edward T. Bennett, The Society For Psychical Research - Its Rise And Progress And A Sketch Of Its Work (Kessinger Publishing, 2006, re-issue), p 455
He attended the 5 Feb 1893 wedding of E. Pilalas and Catherine Elesteropoulo at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity, W 53d St., New York City, along with Theodore P. and Mrs. Ralli, P.P. Negreponte, and John C. Maximos.
At the time he was probably a student at Columbia.
A modern art enthusiast who was an early member of the Museum of Modern Art, New York. He introduced T. Catesby Jones, an arts patron, to the State of Virginia art collections. Jones bequeathed the bulk of his modern art collection to Virginia institutions in 1947; Michael Agelasto is cited in the exhibition catalogue for his role. (The exhibition catalogue, Matisse, Picasso, and Modern Art in Paris: The T. Catesby Jones Collections, The U. Va Art Musueum, 30 Jan - 24 Apr 2009 (Parker Agelasto).
He and his brother Alec played the amateur tennis circuit. While in Europe (3 Apr - 1 Jun) either he or a namesake 'M Agelastos' represented Greece in singles tennis in the Athens 1906 Olympics [22 Apr - 1 Jun], losing in the first round by default.
Michael Agelasto was influential in bringing T. Catesby Jones' modern art collection to Virginia.
M. Agelasto, "The Discharge of Magnetism," The Electrical World, v. 24, 15 Sep 1894, n. 11, p. 256-257.
Johns Hopkins University Circulars, v. 9, no. 76, Nov 1889, lists Michael A. Agelasto, Norfolk, Va., among 'special students', enrolled in classes on Church History, International Law, English Constitutional History, Continental History, Psychology, and Logic.
1900 US Federal Census for 54 York Street, Norfolk City, Virginia, headed by Alex M Agelasto, 67, b. Feb 1833, Greece; naturalized, parents b. Greece, Cotton Buyer, own home, Married 1866 (34 years); wife Polyrene M Agelasto, 53, b. Jan 1847, Greece; parents b. Greece, both immigrated 1859, 41 years in US; sons Peter A Agelasto, 31, b. Mar 1869, India, lawyer; Michael A Agelasto, 29, b. Apr 1871, Greece, electrical engineer, both immigrated 1877, naturalized, 23 years in the US; Alex M Agelasto Jr, 26, b. Dec 1873, Louisiana, all single, cotton buyer; and one servant.
1910 US Federal Census for 54 York Street, Norfolk City, Virginia, headed by Mrs. P. Agelasto, 62, b. 1848, Greece, widowed, parents b. Greece, naturalized, own home, married 40 years, 3/3 children living; son P Agelasto, 40, b. 1870, India, immigrated 1900, Married, parents b. Greece; lawyer, naturalized; Daughter-in-law Catherine Agelasto, 29, b. 1881, Virginia, parents b. Virginia, 5 years married; grandson Alex Agelasto Jr., 5, b. 1905, Virginia; father b. India; mother b. Virginia; sons Mickey Agelasto, 38, b. 1872 Greece; immigrated 1890, naturalized, single, parents b. Greece, Cotton Mill manager, Alex Agelasto Sr., 37, b. 1873 Louisiana, Married, parents b. Greece, clerk cotton mill, married 7 years; Daughter-in-law Mary W. Agelasto, 26, b. 1884, Virginia, parents b. Virginia, all native English speakers, can read/write.
1930 US federal census: Hague Apartments, 617 Fairfax Avneue, Olney Road, Norfolk, Va. household headed by Michael Agelasto, renter, 58, single, b. Greece, parents b. Greece, arrived USA 1880, naturalized, manager cotton mill; mother Pauline [sic], 77, widow, 20 y.o. at marriage; naturalized, arrived USA 1977; Alexandria [sic], nephew, 25, single, b. Virginia, father b. India, mother b. Virginia, lawyer.
1940 US federal census, Princess Anne Co., Virginia: M A Agelasto, 71, lodger, single, b. Greece, naturalized citizen, unemployed, other income, residence Norfolk, 1935.
Birth:
The 1900 census gives his birth date as Apr. 1871.
On passport application, he reports birth as 25 Jan. 1869, New Orleans.
Died:
Obituary: Washington Post, 21 Sept. 1949
Buried:
Elmwood Cemetery record: AGELASTO, MICHAEL A I28115 Section ELM, Block 7TH A E, Lot 15, Space 11 0 09/20/1949
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1869 - 1949 (80 years)