| Notes |
- His entry in the Yale College Biographical record reads as follows:
William Carman (Fire Place, L. I.), son of Capt. Samuel Carman and Catharine (Homan) Carman, was born at South Haven, Suffolk County, L. I., April 26, 1819,—-his father being a widely known and highly esteemed citizen of that place.
After graduation he commenced the study of medicine with Dr. Willard Parker in New York City, attending the usual course of lectures in the college of physicians and surgeons in that city, and passing the customary examinations. He received the degree of M. D. from that institution in March, 1846, and immediately entered upon the practice of his profession at Port Jefferson in his native county, where he remained until March, 1854. During his eight years' residence in Port Jefferson, he acquired the reputation of being an excellent physician, enjoyed a growing and lucrative practice, and was highly esteemed by the citizens of that county, as well as by its Medical Society. But San Francisco, then rapidly springing into notoriety and importance on the Pacific coast, early attracted his attention, and he finally decided to go there, sailing from New York on the steamship George Law, March 20, 1854.
On reaching San Francisco he at once entered on the practice of his profession, meeting with most encouraging success. He has remained in that city ever since, actively engaged in practice, and taking a high stand among its local physicians and surgeons. All who have known him in San Francisco speak of him in high terms, and represent him as having a handsome practice. In his social relations he is represented as genial, warm-hearted, and generous to a fault, and as at all times maintaining the reputation of a most worthy and estimable citizen. A gentleman who has known him intimately in California writes: "I have been very intimate with Dr. Carman, for many years, and know his many virtues as well as some of his faults. He cares less for the "Almighty Dollar" than any man I ever knew. He has had a large practice, and ought to have grown rich out of it. But I doubt if he ever dunned a patient in his life. If one paid him, well and good; if not, equally so. And any impecunious member of the profession could borrow his last dollar, on the same easy terms of payment. This you may say is a fault so nearly allied to virtue (a Websterian virtue, for instance) as to be by many mistaken for it; but having lived in California myself, I do not regard it an over-commendable virtue for that section of the country. But this, and his short-comings as a correspondent, are the Doctor's chief faults. He is hospitable, genial, warm-hearted, and, in his friendships, as true as steel. Many Long Islanders have been in California, and this is the uniform testimony they bear of him. He has always maintained the reputation of a first-class physician, and a high-minded and honorable citizen and gentleman. This was his record in Port Jefferson, and I know that his California history will not falsify it."
He was married in San Francisco, Cal., in July, 1854, to Miss Margaret Smith, daughter of Col. William Smith, of Whitestone, Queens County, L. I., an intelligent and most estimable lady, who died about two years ago. He has had three children, two boys and one girl. The elder of the boys died at the age of about four years. The two surviving children are Annie Carman, aged about twenty, and William Carman, Jr., aged about seventeen years.
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1819 - 1890 (71 years)
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