How our research center got its name!

 

Orris U. Kellogg was born in Taylor on September 19, 1848, to parents Stephen and Nancy Dillenbeck Kellogg. When he completed his early education, he went off to the University of Albany (now Albany Law School). He was so brilliant, he was not required to take the bar examination! And due to an oversight, he was admitted to practice before his 21st birthday! He graduated on May 26, 1869, and moved to Cortland where he began to practice law on June 3, 1869. This man was not one to waste time! Orris would practice law up until his death in 1935, and he was the attorney for many organizations with which he was involved. New York State Governor Nathan Miller began his law career in the office of Kellogg.

Kellogg was involved in many organizations, including the Cortland Trust Company, the Cortland County Agricultural Society, and both the Franklin Hatch Library and the Cortland Free Library. His heart was bound to bovine related interests, and he spent 20 years as the president of the Holstein-Friesian Association of America. He was also one of the organizers of the state Holstein Association.

Kellogg’s most lasting legacy has been the money that he and his brother Jasper gave to the Kellogg Free Library in Cincinnatus. Their generous gift has kept the library functioning comfortably for decades. In fact, the Kellogg Free Library gave a gift to Cortland County Historical Society to build our research center, which is aptly named the Kellogg Memorial Research Center.