Many students at American universities are familiar with the name Mudd. Not only is there the Harvey Mudd College; there are also numerous Seeley G. Mudd buildings, libraries, and centers named after Harvey’s brother. At the University of Southern California and Columbia University there are also the Seeley W. Mudd buildings, named after their father (although it was actually Harvey Mudd who attended Columbia and later was a dean at the University of Southern California).
You must certainly at least once have wondered: are Harvey S., Seeley G., and Seeley W. Mudd related to Samuel A. Mudd, who treated John Wilkes Booth’s leg? The answer is: yes. Seeley G. and Harvey S. Mudd are great-great-great-great-great-grandsons and Seeley W. Mudd great-great-great-great-grandson of Henry “Harry” Mudd. Samuel A. Mudd is the great-great-great-grandson of Henry Mudd’s older brother, Thomas Mudd, Jr. It is a small world after all.
Simon Hedlin
SIMON HEDLIN 