Beckwith, Sutherland Alsop, 1892-1986
Biography
Sutherland Alsop Beckwith was born in Litchfield on Dec. 16, 1890, the son of Josiah Beckwith (1838-1911) and Ann Alsop. He graduated from the Sheffield Scientific School of Yale University in 1915. A veteran of WWI and WWII, he fought in the 1916 Mexican border conflict. His military career spanned 35 years and he retired as a colonel. During the 1920s, he was involved in a lumber business operating under the name of Hubbard and Beckwith. Beckwith was a state adjutant general, a sheriff of Litchfield County, and a local director of the Works Progress Administration. For 10 years he served as Litchfield postmaster. He married first Helen Cahill on July 23, 1925. She died Feb. 2, 1929. He married second Charlotte Louise Coopernail, daughter of George Coopernail, on July 30, 1932. They had three children. Beckwith died on Nov. 19, 1986.