William Rainey Harper. 

 1856-1906. 



WILLIAM RAINEY HARPER died in Chicago, Illinois, Janu- 

 ary 10, 1906. He was born in New Concord, Muskingum 

 County, Ohio, July 26, 1856, of Scotch Irish ancestors. He 

 was born with fine mental faculties and a genius for con- 

 structive work. At the early age of eight years he entered the 

 preparatory department of Muskingum College, a small de- 

 nominational school in New Concord, and two years later he 

 entered upon his collegiate course, completing it with honors 

 and was graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Arts at the 

 age of fourteen. He early developed a love for the Hebrew 

 language and literature and delivered his commencement ora- 

 tion in that language on the day of his graduation. For three 

 years after his graduation he pursued his studies without the aid 

 of a master, holding closely and intently to his work, and at 

 seventeen entered Yale University as a graduate student, re- 

 ceiving from that institution the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 

 at the age of nineteen. Thus early did he discipline his fine 

 intellect and bring his mental faculties under subjection to that 

 tremendous will-power that was characteristic of him through 

 all his brilliant career. He married the daughter of Rev. 

 David Paul, President of Muskingum College, and spent a year 

 as principal of the Masonic College at Macon, Tennessee. In 

 the fall of 1876 he accepted an appointment as tutor in the pre- 

 paratory department of Dennison University, and immediately 

 his constructive and organizing power manifested itself in a 

 plan for the development of Granville Academy. Before this 

 work was commenced, however, he was called to the chair of 

 Hebrew at the Baptist Union Theological Seminary in Chicago. 

 While occupying this position he perfected a system of teaching 

 Hebrew by correspondence, published text-books for the study 

 of Hebrew, established two periodicals called the Hebrew Stu- 

 dent and Hebraic, and started summer schools in Hebrew. He 



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