John William Hamilton
Encyclopedia
John William Hamilton was an American
bishop
of the Methodist Episcopal Church
, elected in 1900. He was also the Chancellor
of American University
from 1916 until 1922. He was the older brother of Franklin Elmer Ellsworth Hamilton
, who was also both a Methodist
Bishop and the Chancellor of American University.
, Virginia
(now West Virginia
). He was the son of the Rev. William Cooper Patrick and Henrietta Maria (Dean) Hamilton. William was a respected clergy member of the Pittsburgh Annual Conference
of the M.E. Church. He served churches in western Pennsylvania
, western Virginia and eastern Ohio
.
John Hamilton was married twice. In 1873 he married Julia Elizabeth Battelle
of Covington, Kentucky
. She died in 1883. In 1888 he married her sister, Emma Lydia Battelle. She died in 1915. Hamilton was the father of two children, one from each marriage.
, but was rejected because of his age. Later he did serve with General Don Carlos Buell
's troops in Kentucky
(dates unknown).
John graduated in 1865 with an A.B.
degree from Mount Union College
, Alliance, Ohio. In 1871 he graduated with an S.T.B. degree from the Boston University School of Theology
.
Circuit in Ohio (1866-68). He was ordained Deacon
in 1868 by Bishop Calvin Kingsley
. That same year Hamilton transferred his ministerial membership to the New England Annual Conference
, where he was ordained Elder in 1870 by Bishop Levi Scott
.
The Rev. John Hamilton was appointed Pastor
of several congregations in Massachusetts
, including Maplewood (1868-70), Somerville
(1870-72 and again 1884-88), First Methodist Church in Boston
(1872-75), People's Church in Boston (1875-84) and East Boston (1888-1892).
Rev. Hamilton's pastorate at People's Church was especially noteworthy because he was responsible not only for its founding, but also for its development into the largest Methodist congregation in Boston. Moreover, it was Hamilton's intent from the outset that this church be open to everyone, regardless of social standing, race, or national origin.
to establish and maintain educational institutions in the southern U.S. for the benefit of freed slaves and other underprivileged youth. At the same time, being held in high esteem by his ministerial colleagues, Rev. Hamilton was elected a delegate to M.E. General Conferences, 1884-1900.
John Hamilton was an eloquent advocate of temperance
and the rights of African Americans and women. Indeed, as a General Conference delegate in 1892 he proposed a change to the Constitution
of the Methodist Episcopal Church that ultimately made it possible for women to serve as delegates to that same body.
Throughout his varied ministries, Rev. Hamilton also was an author
and an editor
.
in the famous Haight/Ashbury District, was named for the "Phoenix Bishop" who helped raise the City Spirit from the ashes: "Together we will rebuild this city, one neighborhood at a time!" He was also a pioneer in establishing Methodism
in Alaska
and Hawaii
.
Bishop Hamilton was next assigned Resident Bishop in Boston (1908-16), where he was responsible for his denomination's ministry throughout New England. In 1916, upon reaching the mandatory retirement
age of an M.E. Bishop, Hamilton succeeded his brother Franklin as Chancellor of American University in Washington, D.C.
. During John's six-year administration the university's academic program improved and its financial undergirding became more sound. In 1922 he was appointed Chancellor Emeritus
. During these same years, Bishop J.W. Hamilton also was a leader in raising funds for the restoration of John Wesley
's living quarters at Lincoln College
, Oxford University.
Online article on Bishop Hamilton, offers this evaluation:
in Boston.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of the Methodist Episcopal Church
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of...
, elected in 1900. He was also the Chancellor
Chancellor
Chancellor is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the...
of American University
American University
American University is a private, Methodist, liberal arts, and research university in Washington, D.C. The university was chartered by an Act of Congress on December 5, 1892 as "The American University", which was approved by President Benjamin Harrison on February 24, 1893...
from 1916 until 1922. He was the older brother of Franklin Elmer Ellsworth Hamilton
Franklin Elmer Ellsworth Hamilton
Franklin Elmer Ellsworth Hamilton was an American Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, elected in 1916.-Birth and Family:...
, who was also both a Methodist
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
Bishop and the Chancellor of American University.
Birth and Family
John was born 18 March 1845 in WestonWeston, West Virginia
Weston is a city in Lewis County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 4,317 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Lewis County, and home to the West Virginia Museum of American Glass.-History:...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
(now West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
). He was the son of the Rev. William Cooper Patrick and Henrietta Maria (Dean) Hamilton. William was a respected clergy member of the Pittsburgh Annual Conference
Annual Conference
An Annual Conference in the United Methodist Church is a regional body that governs much of the life of the "Connectional Church." Annual conferences are composed primarily of the clergy members and a lay member or members from each charge . Each conference is a geographical division...
of the M.E. Church. He served churches in western Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, western Virginia and eastern Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
.
John Hamilton was married twice. In 1873 he married Julia Elizabeth Battelle
Battelle
Battelle may refer to:* Battelle Hall, multi-purpose arena and exhibit hall located in Columbus, Ohio* Battelle Memorial Institute, R&D organization that manages seven large U.S. national laboratories headquartered in Columbus, Ohio...
of Covington, Kentucky
Covington, Kentucky
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 43,370 people, 18,257 households, and 10,132 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,301.3 people per square mile . There were 20,448 housing units at an average density of 1,556.5 per square mile...
. She died in 1883. In 1888 he married her sister, Emma Lydia Battelle. She died in 1915. Hamilton was the father of two children, one from each marriage.
Education and Military Service
After attending Summerfield Academy, John Hamilton taught school at the age of fifteen (the locations of the academy and the school are unknown). In April 1861 he attempted to enlist in the Union ArmyUnion Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
, but was rejected because of his age. Later he did serve with General Don Carlos Buell
Don Carlos Buell
Don Carlos Buell was a career United States Army officer who fought in the Seminole War, the Mexican-American War, and the American Civil War. Buell led Union armies in two great Civil War battles—Shiloh and Perryville. The nation was angry at his failure to defeat the outnumbered...
's troops in Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
(dates unknown).
John graduated in 1865 with an A.B.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree from Mount Union College
Mount Union College
The University of Mount Union is a 4-year private, coeducational, liberal arts college in Alliance, Ohio.Mount Union enrolls 2200 undergraduates. Approximately 50 percent are women and 50 percent are men, representing more than 22 states and 13 countries. Mount Union has an active alumni base of...
, Alliance, Ohio. In 1871 he graduated with an S.T.B. degree from the Boston University School of Theology
Boston University School of Theology
Boston University School of Theology is the oldest theological seminary of American Methodism and the founding school of Boston University, the largest private research university in New England. It is one of thirteen theological schools maintained by the United Methodist Church...
.
Ordained Ministry
The Rev. John Hamilton was Licensed to Preach in 1865. He was Received on Trial in the Pittsburgh Conference in 1866. He was appointed to the NewportNewport, Ohio
Newport is a census-designated place in eastern Newport Township, Washington County, Ohio, United States. Although it is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 45768. Newport lies along the Ohio River several miles above the county seat of Marietta...
Circuit in Ohio (1866-68). He was ordained Deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
in 1868 by Bishop Calvin Kingsley
Calvin Kingsley
Calvin Kingsley was an American bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church elected in 1864.-Birth and Family:...
. That same year Hamilton transferred his ministerial membership to the New England Annual Conference
New England Annual Conference
The New England Annual Conference is an Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. This conference serves the congregations in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and eastern Connecticut, plus one congregation in Vermont...
, where he was ordained Elder in 1870 by Bishop Levi Scott
Levi Scott (Bishop)
Levi Scott was an American Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, elected in 1852.-Birth, Family and Early Life:Scott was born near Cantwell's Bridge, now Odessa, Delaware. His parents were Methodists, his father a class-leader and Local preacher who entered the Itinerant Ministry of the...
.
The Rev. John Hamilton was appointed Pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
of several congregations in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, including Maplewood (1868-70), Somerville
Somerville, Massachusetts
Somerville is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, located just north of Boston. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 75,754 and was the most densely populated municipality in New England. It is also the 17th most densely populated incorporated place in...
(1870-72 and again 1884-88), First Methodist Church in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
(1872-75), People's Church in Boston (1875-84) and East Boston (1888-1892).
Rev. Hamilton's pastorate at People's Church was especially noteworthy because he was responsible not only for its founding, but also for its development into the largest Methodist congregation in Boston. Moreover, it was Hamilton's intent from the outset that this church be open to everyone, regardless of social standing, race, or national origin.
Denominational Service
Beginning in 1892 Rev. Hamilton was elected Corresponding Secretary of the Freedmen's Aid and Southern Education Society, an agency of the M.E. Church created after the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
to establish and maintain educational institutions in the southern U.S. for the benefit of freed slaves and other underprivileged youth. At the same time, being held in high esteem by his ministerial colleagues, Rev. Hamilton was elected a delegate to M.E. General Conferences, 1884-1900.
John Hamilton was an eloquent advocate of temperance
Temperance movement
A temperance movement is a social movement urging reduced use of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movements may criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence , or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.-Temperance movement by...
and the rights of African Americans and women. Indeed, as a General Conference delegate in 1892 he proposed a change to the Constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
of the Methodist Episcopal Church that ultimately made it possible for women to serve as delegates to that same body.
Throughout his varied ministries, Rev. Hamilton also was an author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and an editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
.
Episcopal Ministry
John William Hamilton was elected to the Episcopacy by the 1900 General Conference of the M.E. Church. He was assigned as Resident Bishop in San Francisco (1900-08). After the devastating earthquake of 1906, he organized the reconstruction of M.E. work in that city. First, by a national tour to raise funds for paying down all debts on M.E. properties, then raising the funds locally to rebuild every Methodist sanctuary. Hamilton United Methodist Church, designed by architect Julia MorganJulia Morgan
Julia Morgan was an American architect. The architect of over 700 buildings in California, she is best known for her work on Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California...
in the famous Haight/Ashbury District, was named for the "Phoenix Bishop" who helped raise the City Spirit from the ashes: "Together we will rebuild this city, one neighborhood at a time!" He was also a pioneer in establishing Methodism
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
in Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
and Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
.
Bishop Hamilton was next assigned Resident Bishop in Boston (1908-16), where he was responsible for his denomination's ministry throughout New England. In 1916, upon reaching the mandatory retirement
Retirement
Retirement is the point where a person stops employment completely. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours.Many people choose to retire when they are eligible for private or public pension benefits, although some are forced to retire when physical conditions don't allow the person to...
age of an M.E. Bishop, Hamilton succeeded his brother Franklin as Chancellor of American University in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. During John's six-year administration the university's academic program improved and its financial undergirding became more sound. In 1922 he was appointed Chancellor Emeritus
Emeritus
Emeritus is a post-positive adjective that is used to designate a retired professor, bishop, or other professional or as a title. The female equivalent emerita is also sometimes used.-History:...
. During these same years, Bishop J.W. Hamilton also was a leader in raising funds for the restoration of John Wesley
John Wesley
John Wesley was a Church of England cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield...
's living quarters at Lincoln College
Lincoln College, Oxford
Lincoln College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is situated on Turl Street in central Oxford, backing onto Brasenose College and adjacent to Exeter College...
, Oxford University.
An Evaluation of His Life
Charles Yrigoyen, Jr., in his American National BiographyAmerican National Biography
The American National Biography is a 24 volume biographical encyclopedia set containing approximately 17,400 entries and 20 million words, first published in 1999 by Oxford University Press under the auspices of the American Council of Learned Societies. A 400-entry supplement appeared in 2002...
Online article on Bishop Hamilton, offers this evaluation:
- During his lifetime Bishop Hamilton, known for his effective preaching, wise administration, and ecumenical leadership, was one of the most influential figures in the Methodist Episcopal church. He was recognized as a progressive regarding the social issues that confronted his nation and as a leader in the world Methodist community. He addressed the important world Methodist Ecumenical Conferences in LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
(1901) and TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
(1911). Hamilton was winsome, energetic, and intelligent. His "striking face, flowing hair, booming voice, and erect, soldierly bearing" made him an impressive figure (Earl and Godbold, p. 1063).
Death and Burial
Bishop Hamilton died 24 July 1934 in Boston. He was buried at Forest Hills CemeteryForest Hills Cemetery
Forest Hills Cemetery is a historic cemetery, greenspace, arboretum and sculpture garden located in the Forest Hills section of the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. The cemetery was designed in 1848.-Overview:...
in Boston.
Selected Writings
- Memorial of Jesse Lee and the Old Elm (1875).
- The People's Church (1877).
- Lives of Methodist Bishops (1882).
- The People's Church Pulpit (1884, 1885).
- American Fraternal Greetings to the Wesleyan Conferences in Ireland and England (1898).
- Gordon BattelleGordon BattelleGordon Battelle was the founder of Battelle Memorial Institute, a non-profit independent research and development organization.-Birth, death and family:...
, Preacher, Statesman, Soldier (1916).
Biographies
- Bucke, Emory Stevens, editor, The History of American Methodism, vol. 3, 1964.
- Godbold, Albea and Earl, Jesse A., John William Hamilton in Encyclopedia of World Methodism, vol. 1, 1974, pp. 1062-63.
- Journal of the Thirty-second Delegated General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, 1936, pp. 685-88.
- Obituary, in the Minutes of the Annual Conferences of the Methodist Episcopal Church, Spring 1934.
- Obituary, Zion's Herald, 1 August 1934.