in 1883, he was awarded an m.s. degree from the indiana university on the basis of his professional accomplishments, although he did not attend classes there. he married laurette h. van hook, daughter of john welsh vanhook, a local washington businessman, in 1878 in washington, dc. they had one daughter, caroline van hook bean (born in washington on november 16, 1879), a noted artist who later married bernardus blommers, jr.