Patton, William Weston

D.D. (Indiana Asbury University, Green castle, Ind., 1863), LL.D. (University of the City of New York, 1882), Congregationalist; b. in New-York City, Oct. 19, 1821; graduated at the University of the City of New York, 1839, and at Union Theological Seminary, New-York City, 1842; became pastor of Phillips Congregational Church, Boston, Ma ., 1843; of the Fourth Church, Hartford, Conn., 1846; of the First Church, Chicago, 111., 1857; was editor of The Advance, Chicago, 111., 1867- 72; lecturer on modern scepticism at Oberlin (O.) and Chicago (111 ) Congregational theological seminaries, 1874-77; since 1877, president of Howard University, Washington, D.C., and in its theological department profe or of natural theology and evidences of Christianity. He took an earnest part in the anti-slavery movement was chairman of the committee which presented to President Lincoln, Sept. 13, 1862, the famous memorial from Chicago asking for a proclamation of emancipation; was vice-president of the North-Western Sanitary Commi ion during the Civil War, and as such made repeated visitations of the Eastern and Western armies, and published various pamphlet reports; visited Great Britain and the Continent on behalf of the freed men in 1866. He is the author of The Young Man, Hartford, Conn., 1847 (republished as The Young Man's Friend, Auburn, N.Y., 1850); Conscience and Law, New York, 1850; Slavery and Infidelity, Cincinnati, 1856; Spiritual Victory, Boston, 1874; Prayer and its Remarkable Answers, Chicago, 1875, 20th ed. New York, 1885; and numerous articles in the various theological magazines.