John Jay Shipherd
Encyclopedia
John Jay Shipherd was an American clergyman who co-founded Oberlin College
in Oberlin, Ohio
in 1833 with Philo Penfield Stewart. In 1844, Shipherd also founded Olivet College
in Olivet, Michigan
.
Both Oberlin College and Olivet College were envisioned by Shipherd to be idealistic, Christian communities based on a simple lifestyle, manual labor, and working for the betterment of the community and mankind. Under Shipherd's leadership, Oberlin College set important precedents of admitting both men and women without regard for race. Oberlin was the first co-educational college in the United States.
, just across the border from Vermont, on March 28, 1802. He was the son of Hon. Zebulon R
. and Elizabeth B. Shipherd.
Shipherd's father was a lawyer and one-time Federalist congressman. As was typical in the early 19th century, Shipherd left home to attend a college preparatory school first in Pawlet, Vermont
, and later for two years in Washington, Vermont
. While at Pawlet, he had a religious experience and also met his later associate, Philo P. Stewart. According to an early biographer, "From this time to the end of his days his character and life were marked with profound earnestness and restless activity."
Shipherd had prepared to enter Middlebury College
in Middlebury, Vermont. Unfortunately, while spending a few days at home in February 1822, before leaving for college, he mistakenly swallowed saltpeter
, thinking it was epsom salt. For the remainder of his life, he suffered from damaged eyesight and an irritation to the lining of his stomach. He attempted to resume his studies, but his eyesight prevented reading for more than a few minutes continuously without intense pain.
and moved to Vergennes, Vermont
to work in a marble business that his father started on his behalf. After the death of his infant daughter and the failure of the marble business, Shipherd decided to enter the ministry, following in his older brother Fayette's footsteps. Leaving his wife with her parents, he began his theological studies under Rev. Josiah Hopkins, in New Haven, Vermont
, along with a number of other young men. He managed his studies using a system of short-hand writing and hiring a fellow student to read to him.
Sometime during the 1820s, Shipherd's father became an enthusiastic follower of the great New York evangelist, Charles Grandison Finney
. The younger Shipherd also came under Finney's influence and looked to him for guidance and leadership.
, holding that position for about a year. From 1828 to 1830, Shipherd served as General Agent of the Vermont Sabbath School Union. While headquartered in Middlebury, he edited a Sunday school paper and traveled throughout Vermont organizing Sunday schools. In 1830, he received an honorary degree
from Middlebury College in recognition of his work.
About that time, the Congregational
and Presbyterian
churches of the East had begun an effort to extend Christian influence among the new settlers in the West. Absolom Peters' Home Missionary and Pastor's Journal that began in Boston, Massachusetts in 1828 was the official organ of the movement. Shipherd was persuaded that he had a call to go to the area west of the Appalachian Mountains
, known as the "Valley of the Mississippi".
In 1830, Shipherd accepted a commission from the American Home Missionary Society
. Around this time he met Rev. Daniel W. Lathrop, who was about to exit as pastor of the church in Elyria, Ohio
due to voice problems. Shipherd was called to that church in October 1830 and was installed as pastor in February 1831. During his two years in Elyria, Shipherd was intensely occupied in revivals in his own parish and in the surrounding region. His congregation was deeply divided by factional controversies, which included Shipherd's strong support for prohibition and his health suffered.
In October 1832, Shipherd resigned as pastor. According to legend, Shipherd and Stewart rode southwest from Elyria into the untamed woods along an old surveyor's cut looking for a site for their colony. Stopping to pray under an elm tree, they were moved to select this spot. This was the "Historic Elm", located on Oberlin's Tappan Square that lived until 1965.
In October, Shipherd left his family and Steward in Elyria and traveled throughout the East for about eight months, securing a donation of the land for Oberlin, raising money, and recruiting teachers and students.
In September 1833, Shipherd, with his wife and four sons, joined the other colonists and moved into the basement of the first college building, rustic Oberlin Hall. They shared their basement apartment with another family.
The first Oberlin classes began in December 1833. Shipherd led the first church services in Oberlin Hall. From the beginning, Shipherd planned for the college to educate both women and men. Oberlin was the first co-educational college in the United States. Both Shipherd and Stewart served as Trustees, after Oberlin was incorporated by Ohio in March 1834.
Church services were an integral part of the Oberlin colony. Led by Shipherd, the Congregational Church of Christ at Oberlin, was organized in September 1834. The church immediately applied to become part of the Cleveland Presbytery. Shipherd was unanimously called to serve as the first pastor, which he did until June 1836, when he resigned due to ill health and his desire to establish other schools.
and came to Oberlin to form a solid core of students and teachers. These included both Asa Mahan
, first president of Oberlin; and John Morgan
, professor and fervent abolitionist. The expansion of the faculty at Oberlin was initiated by Shipherd's solicitation of additional financial support from Arthur
and Lewis Tappan
. One prerequisite of the Tappan brothers was that Oberlin also accept students "without regard for race". After Shipherd's forceful persuasion, the Oberlin trustees adopted this policy.
The support of the Tappan brothers brought the evangelist Charles Grandison Finney
to head the Oberlin theological department. The charismatic Finney became the religious leader of the community, centered on First Church. This church, modeled on the Tabernacle in New York City, was the largest auditorium west of the Appalachians for many decades.
As early as 1835, Shipherd envisioned a series of Oberlin-like schools, proceeding westward. He first tried to establish the Grand River Seminary just west of Lansing, Michigan
, along with several members of the Oberlin colony.
In June of 1836, Shipherd issued an announcement of the new institution, together with a plea for financial aid. Caught between President Jackson's "Specie Circular" that required payment for government lands with gold and the Panic of 1837, Shipherd's New York supporters could not pay their pledges and the effort failed.
In March 1837, Shipherd wrote to the editor of the New York Evangelist announcing the development of the Lagrange Collegiate Institute which was to arise in Lagrange County, Indiana. There is no evidence that this proceeded any further.
. The next morning, setting out again on his journey toward Charlotte, he lost his way and was startled to find himself three times drawn back to the forest-covered hilltop. Shipherd took this as a divine sign that the college should be located there.
In the early months of 1844, 39 missionaries, including Oberlin faculty, students, and alumni came to Michigan. They initially lived in abandoned log cabins and crowded in together as new cabins were built. Through the warmer months, they cleared trees, planted crops, and built both saw and grist mills. Malaria
broke out and spread until most of the colonists were sick. Shipherd became sick at Olivet and died on September 16, 1844. Despite these hardships, classes began at Olivet in December 1844 and continue to this day. Shipherd is interred in the Olivet City Cemetery adjacent to the Olivet College campus.
There are two extensive biographical chapters on Shipherd. James Harris Fairchild, who knew Shipherd, gives a more anecdotal account. Fletcher relies extensively on primary material, including many of Shipherd's letters. There is also a remembrance by his wife, located in the Oberlin College archives, as well as a photograph of her, though none exists for Shipherd himself.
Oberlin College
Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...
in Oberlin, Ohio
Oberlin, Ohio
Oberlin is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, United States, to the south and west of Cleveland. Oberlin is perhaps best known for being the home of Oberlin College, a liberal arts college and music conservatory with approximately 3,000 students...
in 1833 with Philo Penfield Stewart. In 1844, Shipherd also founded Olivet College
Olivet College
Olivet College is a coeducational, liberal arts college located in Olivet, Michigan, United States, south of Lansing and west of Detroit. It is affiliated with the United Church of Christ and the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches, and accredited by the North Central...
in Olivet, Michigan
Olivet, Michigan
Olivet is a city in Eaton County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,758 at the 2000 census. Olivet College is located there.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.-Demographics:...
.
Both Oberlin College and Olivet College were envisioned by Shipherd to be idealistic, Christian communities based on a simple lifestyle, manual labor, and working for the betterment of the community and mankind. Under Shipherd's leadership, Oberlin College set important precedents of admitting both men and women without regard for race. Oberlin was the first co-educational college in the United States.
Personal background
Shipherd was born in Granville, New YorkGranville, New York
Granville is a town on the eastern border of Washington County, New York, United States. It is part of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, just across the border from Vermont, on March 28, 1802. He was the son of Hon. Zebulon R
Zebulon R. Shipherd
Zebulon Rudd Shipherd was a United States Representative from New York. Born in Granville, Washington County, he completed preparatory studies, studied law, was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Granville. His wife, Elizabeth Bull, had one child, Fayette...
. and Elizabeth B. Shipherd.
Shipherd's father was a lawyer and one-time Federalist congressman. As was typical in the early 19th century, Shipherd left home to attend a college preparatory school first in Pawlet, Vermont
Pawlet, Vermont
Pawlet is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,477 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which 0.02% is water.Pawlet is a rural farming town...
, and later for two years in Washington, Vermont
Washington, Vermont
Washington is a town in Orange County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,047 at the 2000 census. The town is believed to be named after George Washington, the town may also be named after Washington, CT as there are records of individuals moving eponymous town in Connecticut to Vermont...
. While at Pawlet, he had a religious experience and also met his later associate, Philo P. Stewart. According to an early biographer, "From this time to the end of his days his character and life were marked with profound earnestness and restless activity."
Shipherd had prepared to enter Middlebury College
Middlebury College
Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college located in Middlebury, Vermont, USA. Founded in 1800, it is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges in the United States. Drawing 2,400 undergraduates from all 50 United States and over 70 countries, Middlebury offers 44 majors in the arts,...
in Middlebury, Vermont. Unfortunately, while spending a few days at home in February 1822, before leaving for college, he mistakenly swallowed saltpeter
Saltpeter
Saltpeter or saltpetre often refers to:*Potassium nitrate, or the mineral niter, the critical oxidizing component of gunpowder, and a food preservative.It may also refer to:...
, thinking it was epsom salt. For the remainder of his life, he suffered from damaged eyesight and an irritation to the lining of his stomach. He attempted to resume his studies, but his eyesight prevented reading for more than a few minutes continuously without intense pain.
Marriage
In 1824, Shipherd married Esther Raymond (1797–1879) of Ballston, New YorkBallston, New York
Ballston is a town in Saratoga County, New York, USA. The population was 8,729 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from an early settler, Eliphalet Ball.The Town of Ballston is in the south part of the County and is north of Schenectady....
and moved to Vergennes, Vermont
Vergennes, Vermont
Vergennes is a city located in the northwest quadrant of Addison County, Vermont, in the United States. Bordered by the towns of Ferrisburgh, Panton and Waltham, as of the 2000 census the city population was 2,741. It is the smallest of Vermont's nine cities in terms of population...
to work in a marble business that his father started on his behalf. After the death of his infant daughter and the failure of the marble business, Shipherd decided to enter the ministry, following in his older brother Fayette's footsteps. Leaving his wife with her parents, he began his theological studies under Rev. Josiah Hopkins, in New Haven, Vermont
New Haven, Vermont
New Haven is a town in Addison County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,666 at the 2000 census. New Haven contains the village of Belden as well as Brooksville, New Haven Junction and New Haven Mills.-Geography:...
, along with a number of other young men. He managed his studies using a system of short-hand writing and hiring a fellow student to read to him.
Sometime during the 1820s, Shipherd's father became an enthusiastic follower of the great New York evangelist, Charles Grandison Finney
Charles Grandison Finney
Charles Grandison Finney was a leader in the Second Great Awakening. He has been called The Father of Modern Revivalism. Finney was best known as an innovative revivalist, an opponent of Old School Presbyterian theology, an advocate of Christian perfectionism, a pioneer in social reforms in favor...
. The younger Shipherd also came under Finney's influence and looked to him for guidance and leadership.
Ministerial background
Shipherd was first called to be a pastor at the church in Shelburne, VermontShelburne, Vermont
Shelburne is a town in southwestern Chittenden County, Vermont, United States, along the shores of Lake Champlain. The population was 7,144 at the 2010 census.-History:...
, holding that position for about a year. From 1828 to 1830, Shipherd served as General Agent of the Vermont Sabbath School Union. While headquartered in Middlebury, he edited a Sunday school paper and traveled throughout Vermont organizing Sunday schools. In 1830, he received an honorary degree
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
from Middlebury College in recognition of his work.
About that time, the Congregational
Congregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
and Presbyterian
Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism refers to a number of Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, which are organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures,...
churches of the East had begun an effort to extend Christian influence among the new settlers in the West. Absolom Peters' Home Missionary and Pastor's Journal that began in Boston, Massachusetts in 1828 was the official organ of the movement. Shipherd was persuaded that he had a call to go to the area west of the Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
, known as the "Valley of the Mississippi".
In 1830, Shipherd accepted a commission from the American Home Missionary Society
Home mission society
The American Baptist Home Mission Societies is a Christian missionary society. It was established in New York City in 1832 to operate in the American frontier, with the stated mission "to preach the Gospel, establish churches and give support and ministry to the unchurched and destitute." In the...
. Around this time he met Rev. Daniel W. Lathrop, who was about to exit as pastor of the church in Elyria, Ohio
Elyria, Ohio
-Community:Elyria has an extensive, although financially burdened, community food pantry and "Hot Meals" program administered through the Second Harvest Food Bank and several churches Elyria is served by Elyria Memorial Hospital.-Recreation and parks:...
due to voice problems. Shipherd was called to that church in October 1830 and was installed as pastor in February 1831. During his two years in Elyria, Shipherd was intensely occupied in revivals in his own parish and in the surrounding region. His congregation was deeply divided by factional controversies, which included Shipherd's strong support for prohibition and his health suffered.
Oberlin College
During the summer of 1832, Philo P. Stewart, Shipherd's friend from his Pawlet Academy days and an Indian missionary, visited Rev. Shipherd in Elyria. While there, Stewart began his divinity training with Shipherd. Together, they formed a plan to establish a colony and educational institute in northern Ohio, based on idealistic Christian beliefs.In October 1832, Shipherd resigned as pastor. According to legend, Shipherd and Stewart rode southwest from Elyria into the untamed woods along an old surveyor's cut looking for a site for their colony. Stopping to pray under an elm tree, they were moved to select this spot. This was the "Historic Elm", located on Oberlin's Tappan Square that lived until 1965.
In October, Shipherd left his family and Steward in Elyria and traveled throughout the East for about eight months, securing a donation of the land for Oberlin, raising money, and recruiting teachers and students.
In September 1833, Shipherd, with his wife and four sons, joined the other colonists and moved into the basement of the first college building, rustic Oberlin Hall. They shared their basement apartment with another family.
The first Oberlin classes began in December 1833. Shipherd led the first church services in Oberlin Hall. From the beginning, Shipherd planned for the college to educate both women and men. Oberlin was the first co-educational college in the United States. Both Shipherd and Stewart served as Trustees, after Oberlin was incorporated by Ohio in March 1834.
Church services were an integral part of the Oberlin colony. Led by Shipherd, the Congregational Church of Christ at Oberlin, was organized in September 1834. The church immediately applied to become part of the Cleveland Presbytery. Shipherd was unanimously called to serve as the first pastor, which he did until June 1836, when he resigned due to ill health and his desire to establish other schools.
Oberlin faculty
Financial difficulties plagued the colony and collegiate institute into 1835 when the Lane Rebels left Lane Seminary in Cincinnati, OhioCincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
and came to Oberlin to form a solid core of students and teachers. These included both Asa Mahan
Asa Mahan
Asa Mahan was a U.S. Congregational clergyman and educator and the first president of Oberlin College and Adrian College.-Career:...
, first president of Oberlin; and John Morgan
John Morgan
-Arts and entertainment:*John Morgan , British painter*John Morgan , Welsh clergyman, scholar and poet*John Morgan , American broadcaster and television producer...
, professor and fervent abolitionist. The expansion of the faculty at Oberlin was initiated by Shipherd's solicitation of additional financial support from Arthur
Arthur Tappan
Arthur Tappan was an American abolitionist. He was the brother of Senator Benjamin Tappan, and abolitionist Lewis Tappan.-Biography:...
and Lewis Tappan
Lewis Tappan
Lewis Tappan was a New York abolitionist who worked to achieve the freedom of the illegally enslaved Africans of the Amistad. Contacted by Connecticut abolitionists soon after the Amistad arrived in port, Tappan focused extensively on the captive Africans...
. One prerequisite of the Tappan brothers was that Oberlin also accept students "without regard for race". After Shipherd's forceful persuasion, the Oberlin trustees adopted this policy.
The support of the Tappan brothers brought the evangelist Charles Grandison Finney
Charles Grandison Finney
Charles Grandison Finney was a leader in the Second Great Awakening. He has been called The Father of Modern Revivalism. Finney was best known as an innovative revivalist, an opponent of Old School Presbyterian theology, an advocate of Christian perfectionism, a pioneer in social reforms in favor...
to head the Oberlin theological department. The charismatic Finney became the religious leader of the community, centered on First Church. This church, modeled on the Tabernacle in New York City, was the largest auditorium west of the Appalachians for many decades.
As early as 1835, Shipherd envisioned a series of Oberlin-like schools, proceeding westward. He first tried to establish the Grand River Seminary just west of Lansing, Michigan
Lansing, Michigan
Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...
, along with several members of the Oberlin colony.
In June of 1836, Shipherd issued an announcement of the new institution, together with a plea for financial aid. Caught between President Jackson's "Specie Circular" that required payment for government lands with gold and the Panic of 1837, Shipherd's New York supporters could not pay their pledges and the effort failed.
In March 1837, Shipherd wrote to the editor of the New York Evangelist announcing the development of the Lagrange Collegiate Institute which was to arise in Lagrange County, Indiana. There is no evidence that this proceeded any further.
Olivet College
In November 1843, Shipherd went to Michigan to take care of some Oberlin business and to make a preliminary survey for a new colony and school. In southern Eaton County, Shipherd spent the night at a settler's cabin in a small clearing near the hilltop now occupied by Olivet CollegeOlivet College
Olivet College is a coeducational, liberal arts college located in Olivet, Michigan, United States, south of Lansing and west of Detroit. It is affiliated with the United Church of Christ and the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches, and accredited by the North Central...
. The next morning, setting out again on his journey toward Charlotte, he lost his way and was startled to find himself three times drawn back to the forest-covered hilltop. Shipherd took this as a divine sign that the college should be located there.
In the early months of 1844, 39 missionaries, including Oberlin faculty, students, and alumni came to Michigan. They initially lived in abandoned log cabins and crowded in together as new cabins were built. Through the warmer months, they cleared trees, planted crops, and built both saw and grist mills. Malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
broke out and spread until most of the colonists were sick. Shipherd became sick at Olivet and died on September 16, 1844. Despite these hardships, classes began at Olivet in December 1844 and continue to this day. Shipherd is interred in the Olivet City Cemetery adjacent to the Olivet College campus.
There are two extensive biographical chapters on Shipherd. James Harris Fairchild, who knew Shipherd, gives a more anecdotal account. Fletcher relies extensively on primary material, including many of Shipherd's letters. There is also a remembrance by his wife, located in the Oberlin College archives, as well as a photograph of her, though none exists for Shipherd himself.
Further reading
- Shipherd, John J. An Appeal to Patriots, Philanthropists, and Christians, on Behalf of Our Endangered Republic, and Its Suffering Members; by the Lorain County Temperance Society Elyria: Park & Burrell, Printers, 1832