Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 3.djvu/220

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VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

tion. At intervals, he was president of the Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical Col- lege (1883-84) ; Kentucky Military Institute (1888-93); professor in the Ohio Military Academy (1893-94), and in the Michigan Military Acadeiny (1894-96). In 1885-86 he was Louisiana commissioner of the New Orleans Exposition. The alumni of the Louisiana State University erected a memo- rial hall to his memory. He died Alay 27, 1899, at liaton Rouge, Louisiana.

Hatcher, William Eldridge, born in Bed- ford county, \irginia. July 25, 1834, son of Henry Hatcher and Mary Latham, his wife. His early life was spent in the mountains of \'irginia, where he acquired a taste for substantial reading. He taught school from seventeen to twenty, then went from Bedford county to Rich- mond College, graduating in 1858 with the degree of Bachelor of Arts ; in 1873 Rich- mond College conferred on him the degree of Doctor of Divinity ; in 1898 he received from Denison University, Ohio, the degree of Doctor of Laws. Leaving Richmond College in 1858, he entered upon the active ministry, taking the following pastorates in the order and for the periods indicated: Bainbridge Street Baptist Church, Manches- ter, eight 3'ears ; Franklin Square Baptist Church, Baltimore, nearly two years ; First Baptist Church, Petersburg, six and one- half years; Grace Street Baptist Church. Richmond, twenty-six years. Two houses of worship were built and paid for under the leadership of Dr. Hatcher. He resigned his pastorate to conduct a campaign for the en- dowment of Richmond College, and his term of service in this work ended in April. T906. He has delivered manv lectures, addresses

and special sermons, and has contributed continuously to the public press as editor and correspondent of various denomina- tional papers. Within the few years prior to 1906, under his wise and inspiring leader- ship. Fork Union Academy was founded. Dr. Hatcher served as president of the board ot trustees of Richmond College, member of the board of trustees of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, president of the Virginia Baptist orphanage trustees, and president of the education board of the I'aptist General Association of \^irgiiiia. Among some of his published articles are: "Biography of Dr. J. B. Jeter," acknowl- edged leader of \irginia Baptists ; and a \\ork on John Jasper, the most extraordi- nary orator of the negro race. Dr. Hatcher married, December 22, 1864, Virginia O. Sncad. nf Fluvanna coimty, Virginia.

Blair, Lewis Harvie, born at Richmond. Virginia, June 21, 1834, son of John G. Blair, and Sarah Ann Eyre Heron, his wife ; and a grandson of Rev. John D. Blair (Par- son Blair) and his wife, Mary (Winston) Blair, a lineal descendant of Isaac Winston, a native of Yorkshire, England, who emi- grated to America in 1704 and settled near Richmond, Virginia. The Blairs also have been resident in Richmond for more than a hundred years, and both families have dis- tinguished themselves in numerous afTairs that have tended to the betterment of the country during the colonial and revolution- ary periods, and down to the present time. The education of Lewis Harvie Blair was interrupted at the age of seventeen years by the death of his father, at which time he entered the service of the United States gov- ernment. Four years later we find him in a