The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 311 SEAMEN VAN VLIET. Seamen Van Vliet, proprietor of the Yakima Business College and holding to the highest standards in the purpose and in the conduct of the institution, was born in the town of Aurora, Erie county, New York, January 20, 1858, and is a son of Richard S. and Ann (Chapman) Van Vliet. He acquired a district school education, supplemented by study in an academy, while later he became a student in the State Normal School at Buffalo, New York, and afterward was graduated from the Bryant & Stratton College of that city. He then began teaching in the institution, where he remained as a teacher from June, 1881, until his connection with the school had covered twenty-one years, becoming its superintendent after a few years had passed. In 1902 he went to Cleveland, Ohio, and in connection with two others purchased the Spencerian Commercial School, of which he became the president and so served for three years. He then returned to Buffalo and had charge of the Caton Business College for a year, after which he removed to Yakima and in 1906 purchased the North Yakima Business College,, which had been established in the fall of 1903 by Miss Van Slyke and Mr. Churchill, who conducted the school for three years, first in the Ditter block and later in the Union block. In 1906 Mr. Van Vliet purchased the school, which he conducted in the Union block until April, 1912, when he removed it to the Clogg building. The school has enjoyed splendid growth under his direction. There were only a few pupils twelve years ago, when he took charge, but today the enrollment during the year approximates two hundred and this is acknowledged to be one of the leading business schools of the west. Its growth has been continuous and its success is largely due to the excellent record of the pupils, which is the most satisfactory proof of the value of the course of instruction. The school has never issued a catalogue but has been conducted upon the maxim that "to get, one must give." In other words the school has been built up from the inside. Carefully formulated plans of instruction, thorough methods, competent teaching and pronounced ability have led to the gradual development of the school and the increase of the patronage. The first year Mr. Van Vliet found it rather uphill work, but the next year the good words spoken by former pupils led to doubling the attendance and the growth of the school has continued rapidly since that time. All branches of commercial study are taught and Mr. Van Vliet has every reason to be proud of the loyalty of his former pupils. He has made it possible for many of them to work their way through school and is actuated in large degree by a spirit of humanitarianism in conducting the institution, for he never turns a pupil away for lack of money, feeling that when he has placed them in a self-supporting position they will repay him, and such has proved to be the case on invariable occasions. Many of his pupils are now occupying important and responsible positions. On the 19th of March, 1882, Mr. Van Vliet was married to Miss Rinda M. Churchill, of Aurora, New York, and their children are: Mrs. E. V. Lockhart, Mrs. Frank Sharkey, Mrs. Wheeler Warren, Mrs. Ted Holland and Mrs. Kenneth Arrowsmith, all of Yakima; Richard Churchill, who is a sergeant in the United States army in France; and Carolyn, at home. Fraternally Mr. Van Vliet is a Mason, belonging to Yakima Lodge, No 24, A. F. & A. M.; Yakima Chapter, R. A. M.; Yakima Council, R. & S. M.; Yakima Commandery, K. T., of which he is a past eminent commander; and in the Scottish Rite he has attained the thirty-second degree. He is a past reigning sovereign of St. Alban Chapter of the Red Cross of Constantine, and he is also a Noble of the Mystic Shrine. In politics he is a republican and he is well known as a member of the Country Club and of the Commercial Club. His acquaintance in Yakima is wide and he is held in favorable regard by all who know him. His entire life has been devoted to the profession which he follows and his labors have constituted a contribution of worth to the world's work. ******************************** Submitted to the Washington Bios Project in December 2007 by Jeffrey L. Elmer. Submitter has no additional information about the subject of this article.