Daily Baptist Encyclopedia Bates, Samuel P., LL.D.,

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Admin  · 08/27/22  · Daily Baptist Encyclopedia Bates, Samuel P., LL.D., was born in Mendon, Mass., and educated at Brown University, grad- uating in 1851. He was baptized into the fellow- ship of the First church, in Providence, R. I., by the Rey. James M. Granger in 1849. In 1852 he transferred his membership to the Meadville Bap- tist church, where it stillremains. Although never licensed, he has occasionally delivered discourses from the pulpit as a supply, and this labor of love has been well received by his brethren. As an author he has acquired not only a local, but even a national reputation of a high order. Various works have been issued, and they have received the popular favor. Several editions of his “Lectures on Mental and Moral Culture’ have been published by Messrs. A. S. Barnes & Co., of New York. This work forms one of the volumes of their Teachers’ Library. The same house pub- lished, in 1861, a small volume entitled ‘‘ Methods of Conducting Teachers’ Institutes,” and this also met with equal success. ‘‘ The History of the Bat- tle of Gettysburg” has received the hearty indorse- ment of the English press, as also of prominent Union and Confederate generals, and French and English military critics. In 1866, Governor Curtin, of Pennsylvania, appointed him State historian, in which service he was engaged seven years, pro- ducing five large volumes, thus ‘preserving the annals of the military organizations which were gathered from the State in its conflict with the Re- bellion. This monument cost the State nearly half a million of dollars, and was worthily expended. “The Lives of the Governors of Pennsylvania” is another work on which he was employed after the completion of the State History. The ‘‘ Mar- tial Deeds of Pennsylvania” is still another large octavo volume, illustrated with numerous portraits of officers and others who were brought to the front during the war. In 1857, Mr. Bates was elected superintendent of public schools in Crawford Co., Pa. At the ex- piration of his first term of three years he was — again honored by re-election, but.resigned to accept the still wider work of deputy State superinten- dent, and this position he held for six years. In 1862 he was employed by the State as agent to visit and report upon the condition of the col- leges of Pennsylvania. These reports were pub- lished from time to time in the Journals. Other duties have crowded out the desire to issue them in book-form. In 1865 the degree of LL.D. was conferred upon him. In 1877 he made a tour through Scotland, Eng- land, France, Italy, Switzerland, and the cities of the Rhine. This visit laid the foundations for four lectures, which have been favorably received wher- ever delivered.From the Baptist Encyclopedia by William Cathcart