Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 04.djvu/315

 GILLESPIE

GILLESPIE

added to the ordinary curriculum of the academy the fouudation for a prosperous conservatory of music. She multiplied academies of the order to the number of thirty and upwards in ditfereut parts of the United States including Utah and Texas. When the civil war called for nurses in the army, she left her home, organized at Cairo, 111., a headquarters, enlisted a corps of sisters, established temporary and permanent hospitals, and used her influence at Washington to further the comfort of the sick and wounded soldiers, for whom, with the help of her corps, she cooked gruel and often fed the moving army as well as those detained in hospital. Her labors broke down her health and at the close of the war she was an invalid. The order in the United States was separated from the European order in 1870, and she was made mother superior, filling the otiice two terms, when she retired to become mis- tress of novices. She contributed to the Catholic periodicals, notably war sketches for the Ave Maria. She died at the Convent of the Holy Cross, Notre Dame. Ind. , March 4, 1887.

GILLESPIE, Eugene Pierce, representative, was born at Greenville, Pa., Sept. 24, 18.53; son of Alexander Dumars and Nancy R. (Linn) Gilles- pie; grandson of David Gillespie, and great- grandson of Thomas Gillespie, who emigrated from county Tyrone, Ireland, settled near Green- ville, Mercer county, Pa., in 1818, and married Hannah, daughter of Alexander Duncan, who hail emigrated from county Tyrone, Ireland, in 1800. He attended the common schools, Alle- gheny college, Meadville, Pa., 1868-70, and St. Michael's college, Toronto, Canada, 1870-73, graduating in 1873. He read law in his father's office, was admitted to the bar in 1874 and prac- tised in his native town. He was married, Nov. 25, 1880, to Ella Davidson of Sharon, Pa. He was chairman of Democratic county and state conventions and was a representative from Penn- sylvania in the 53d congress, 1891-93. He was struck by a train at a crossing at Greenville, Pa., and died from the injuries received, Dec. 16. 1899.

QILLESPIE, George de Normandie, first bisliop of Western Michigan and 113th in succes- sion in the American episcopate, was born in Goshen, N.Y., June 14, 1819. He was graduated at the General theological seminary in 1840, and was ordained deacon, June 38. 1840. in St. Peter's cliurch. New York city, and priest in St. Mark's church, Le Roy, N.Y., June 30, 1843, where he was rector, 1840-45. He was rector of St. Paul's church, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1845-51, of Zion church, Palmyra, N.Y., 1851-61, and of St. Andrew's church, Ann Arbor, Mich., 1861-75. He was elected bishop of the newly erected diocese of Western Micliigan in 1874. and was consecrated at St. Mark's, Grand Rapids, Feb. 24, 1875, by

Bishops McCoskry, Talbot, B'ssell, Robertson, Paddock and Wells. The diocese, extending from Lake Michigan and the Straits of Mackinac on the north to the state of Indiana on the south and including the western half of the state embraced an area of 18,449 square miles and in 1900 had a population of 794,- 969. He made Grand Rapids the see city and organized the Association of the diocese of Western Slichigan to hold the funds and property of the diocese in trust. He served on the state board of correction and charities, from 1876. He received the degi-ee M.A. in 1850, and that of S.T.D. in 1875, from Hobart college. He pub- lished Manual and Annals of the Diocese of Michi- f/an (1868), and other pamphlets.

QILLESPIE, Neal Henry, educator, was born in Brownsville, Pa., in 1833. He was a student in the first cla.ss graduated at tlie University of Notre Dame and the iirst to receive the A.B. and A. M. degrees from that institution. He entered the novitiate of the congregation of the Holy Cross in 1851 ; taught mathematics in the univer- sity, and in 1854 went to Rome where he com- pleted his theological studies and was ordained a priest June 34, 1856. He was vice-president and director of studies at Notre Dame, 1856-59; presi- dent of the College of St. Mary of the Lake, Chicago, 111., 1859-63; in Paris by direction of the order, 1863-66, and was spiritual director of several religious and literary societies con- nected with the University of Notre Dame and editor of the Are Maria, 1866-74. He was a brother of Eliza Maria Gillespie (Mother Mary of St. Angela). He died at St. Mary of the Woods nearTerre Haute, Ind., Nov. 13, 1874.

QILLESPIE, William Mitchell, author, was born in New York city, in 1816. He was gradu- ated from Columbia in 1834; studied in Europe, 1835^5 and was professor of civil engineering and mathematics at Union college, 1845-68. The honorary degree of LL.D. was conferred upon him by the University of Nashville in 1857, and by Columbia in 1859. Among his publications are: Home, as seen by a Neio Yorker, IS 43-44 (1845) ; Boads and liailroads (1845) ; Philosophy of Mathematics fl851) ; The Principles and Practice of LandSiirreijinr/ (1855) ; and Treatise on Levelling, Tnpof/rriplnj and Hiyher Surveying. He died in New York city, Jau. 1, 1868.