Harry Welles Rusk
Harry Welles Rusk, a native of Baltimore, Maryland, was born on October 17th 1854. His parents were Jacob Krebs Rusk, a butcher, and Catharine Olivia Lane. The Rusk line claims family members who served in both the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. Catharine Lane was a first generation immigrant from Ireland. Harry was one of four children. Listed from oldest to youngest they are George, Harry Welles, Jacob Krebs Jr., and Thomas. Harry and his family were Methodists who practiced at the First Methodist Church in Baltimore. Publicly schooled, Harry Welles Rusk graduated Baltimore City College in 1866 and then the University of Maryland Law School in 1872. After careful review of the 1872 class register, it was discovered that Elijah J. Bond was listed as Rusk's classmate. Elijah J. Bond filed the first patent No. 446,054 on the Ouija board in 1890. The two would meet in law class and begin their historic friendship.) Rusk was then admitted to the bar the following year in 1873. Shortly after that he entered into business with his brother and opened a practice, Rusk and Rusk, located in Baltimore. Heavily active in politics, Harry Welles Rusk was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 1876 and 1882. He also became the chairman of the Democratic City Committee of Baltimore City. He was elected to the Maryland State Senate in 1884 and again in 1886. He served six consecutive terms in the U.S. House of Representatives representing Maryland beginning in the 1885 term, elected after the death of William Cole, serving the remainder of his term. Rusk then resumed his post as the chairman of the Democratic City Committee of Baltimore City in 1898 and resigned in 1908. He then resumed his private practice in Baltimore. He was also a member of the Maryland Club, the Merchant's Club, and the Yacht Club.
On October 20th 1890 Harry Welles Rusk along with Charles W. Kennard, William H. A. Maupin, Col. Washington Bowie, and John T. Green appeared in a Baltimore Court to sign and register the incorporation papers of the Kennard Novelty Company which were certified on October 30th 1890. Rusk is listed as the company's president on the Ouija trademark No. 18,919 which was registered February 3rd 1891 as well as the company's trademark on the word Gardez No. 20,624 which was registered on January 19th 1892. Though the aforementioned company would be reorganized by Col. Washington Bowie and have the name changed to the Ouija Novelty Company in 1902, Harry Welles Rusk would continue to receive a royalty on the Ouija board until 1902, when he would sell his remaining interest and shares to Col. Washington Bowie. Rusk married Isabelle Whitmore Adams on December 16th 1880. They had only one son, Harry Welles Rusk Jr. Harry Welles Rusk died of influenza with bronchitis on January 28th 1926 and is buried with his wife and her family at Green Mount Cemetery in Baltimore, Maryland. (For more information about the Rusk family please visit RuskFamily.com.) *This page uses text and images from its parent site WilliamFuld.com. For more information about Harry Welles Rusk and the Ouija board please visit WilliamFuld.com. Our copyright policy applies. Contact | © Copyright 2007 | Robert Murch
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