VETHAKE, Henry, educator, born in Essequibo county (now united with Demerara), British Guiana, in 1792 ; died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 16 December, 1866. He was brought to the United States by his parents at the age of four years, was graduated at Columbia in 1808, and afterward studied law. In 1813 he became instructor in mathematics and geography at Columbia, and later in the same year professor of mathematics and natural philosophy in Queen's college (now Rutgers). He went to Princeton in 1817 as professor of the same sciences, and for the first year of chemistry also, resigning in 1821 in order to take the chair of mathematics and natural philosophy in Dickinson college, where he remained till 1829. He taught the same subjects in the University of the city of New York from 1832 till 1835, and then filled for a year the office of president of Washington college, Lexington, Virginia, taking the chair of intellectual and moral philosophy. He was professor of mathematics from 1836 till 1855, and subsequently till 1859 of intellectual and moral philosophy in the University of Pennsylvania, being chosen vice-provost in 1846, and provost in 1854. From 1859 till his death he occupied the chair of the higher mathematics in the Philadelphia polytechnic college. He received the degree of LL.D. from Columbia in 1836. He published "Principles of Political Economy" (Philadelphia, 1838; 2d ed., 1844), besides contributions to periodicals. He edited, with additions, John R. McCulloch's "Dictionary of Commerce" (Philadelphia, 1843), and a supplemental volume of the "Encyclopaedia Americana," which was in great part written by himself (1847).