Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 01.djvu/329

 BISSELL.

BISSELL.

BISSELL, John W., educator, was born at Prescott, Canada, Aug. 4, 1843. He was prepared for college at Rock river seminary, lU. , and grad- uated at the Northwestern university, Evanston, 111., in 1867. In 1867 he was appointed Professor of Latin and Greek in Northern Indiana college. South Bend, Ind., and in 1868 and 1870 he was principal of the Brookston academy, Ind. He then, until 1872, was pastor of Simpson church, Chicago, and of the Methodist Episcopal church at New Hampton, Iowa; when he was elected professor of natural science in Upper Iowa uni- versity, serving as president 1873-99. He re- ceived the degree D.D. froni Iowa Wesleyan university in 1880, was a member of the gen- eral conference of the M. E. church in 1884 and pastor at Ciiarles city, Iowa, from 1901.

BISSELL, William Henry, statesman, was born at Hartwick, Otsego county, N. Y., April 25, 1811. He obtained an education through his own efforts, earning the money in winter that enabled him to attend school in the summer. He was graduated at the Philadelphia medical college in 1835, practised for two years in Steuben county, N. Y., and for three years in Monroe county, 111., and was elected to the Illinois legis- lature, where he made quite a reputation as a ready and able debater. He turned his atten- tion to the study of the law, was admitted to the bar, practised in Belleville, 111., and was elected prosecuting attorney of St. Clair county in 1844. Diu'ing the Mexican war he served as captain of a company in the 2d Illinois volunteers, and took an active part in the battle of Buena Vista. He represented Illinois in the national house of rep- resentatives in the 31st, 32d and 83d congresses, from December, 1849, to March 3, 1855. and his emphatic opposition to the Missouri compromise involved him in a controversy with southern Democrats. The question as to the bravery of the soldiers from the north as compared with that shown by the south in the Mexican war led to a debate with Jefferson Davis, and resulted in Mr, Bissell being challenged by Mr. Davis. He accepted the challenge, and chose muskets as the weapons to be used at thirty paces. The friends of Mr. Davis interfered at this juncture and the duel was never fought. On the passage of the Kansas -Nebraska bill, Mr. Bissell separated from the Democratic party and was elected gov- ernor of Illinois on the Republican ticket, serving by re-election from 1856 vmtil his death, which occurred at Springfield, 111., March 18, 1860.

BISSELL, William Henry Augustus, 2d bishop of Vermont and 88th in succession in the American episcopate, was born at Ran- dolph, Vt., Nov. 10. 1814; son of Dr. Ezekiel and Elizabeth (Washburn) Bissell. He received his primary education in the Randolph public

schools and academy, and was graduated from the University of Vermont in the class of 1836. For a time he taught the classics in Bishop Hopkinss school for boys, and at the same time studied for the ministry. In the fall of 1837 he established a private school in Detroit. In 1838 he applied for holy orders in the diocese of New York and taught in the Troy Episcopal institu- tion. On Sept. 29, 1839, he was ordained deacon in Calvary church. New York city, by Bishop Onderdonk, and on July 12, 1840, priest bj- the same bishop in Troy, N. Y., and received the ap- pointment of assistant in Christ church, which position he held until the following year, when he took charge of Trinity church, West Troy. He remained there until 1845, when he was called to the rectorship of Grace church, at Lyons, N. Y. In 1848 he accepted a call to the rector- ship of Trinity church, Geneva, N. Y., and there continued until his election as bishop of the diocese of Vermont in 1868. He was elected a member of the standing committee of the dio- cese of western New York in 1850, an office which he continued to hold for sixteen years. He was married Aug. 29, 1838, to Martha, daugh- ter of Phineas Moulton, and five children were born to them. He was consecrated bishop of Vermont, June 3, 1868. He was a trustee of Hobart college, 1849-"68; received honorary A.M. and S.T.D. there, 1868, and D.D. from Norwich 1852, and from the University of Vermont, 1876. He died at Burlington, Vt., May 14, 1893.

BISSELL, Wilson Shannon, lawyer, was born in New London, Oneida county, N. Y., Dec. 31, 1847. When he was five years old his parents removed to Buffalo. He was graduated from Yale college with honors in the class of 1869, and studied law with A. P. Lanning of Buffalo, who subsequently formed a co - partnership with Grover Cleveland and Oscar Folsom, whose daughter Mr. Cleveland afterwards married. In 1871 Mr. Bissell was admitted to the bar, and in the fall of 1872 he formed a partnership with Ly- man K. Bass, and about a year later Mr. Cleve- land became a member of the firm, which thereafter was known as Bass, Cleveland & Bissell. Mr. Bass removed to Colorado on ac- count of ill-health, and Mr. Cleveland was elected governor of the state of New York, the firm being thereby dissolved. Mr. Bissell re-organized it as Bissell, Sicard, Brundage & Bissell. As senior member he became known as one of the ablest railroad lawyers in the country, and served as president of several minor railroads in the western part of New York and in Pennsylvania, as well as director in a number of railroad and commercial corporations. He declined a cabinet position in Mr. Cleveland's first administration as well as a seat on the supreme bench. He served