Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 07.djvu/390

 MIEGE

MIFFLIN

Jacob and Jette Levald of Copenhagen. He was rabbi of a Jewish congregation in New York city, 1865-73, founder of an educational institution, and acting principal of the Temple Eruanu El, prepar- atory school of the Jewish Tiieolugical seminary in New York city, 1873-79 ; in 1879 was made professor of Talmudical literature in the Hebrew Union college, Cincinnati, Ohio, and after the death of the Rev. Dr. Isaac M. Wise (March, 1900), he suc(!eeded him as acting president of this col- lege. He received the degree of Ph.D. at the University of Giessen, Germany, in 1859, and D.D. from Hebrew Union college in 1898. He is the author of : Slavery Among the Ancient Hebrews (1859); The Jewish Law of Marriage and Divorce (1884); Introduction to the Talmud (1894); Legal Maxims and Fundamental Laivs of the Civil and Criminal Co<ieofthe Talmud (1898), and sermons, lectures, and articles in German, Danish and English, and poems in classical Hebrew.

MIEGE, John Baptist, R.C. bishop, was born at La Foret (Chevron), Upper Savoy, Sept. 18, 1815. He became a Jesuit in 1836 ; taught in the novitiate in Milan several years, and was gradu- ated in theology from the Jesuit college in

Rome, where he was ordained priest, Sept. 7, 1847. He was pas- tor of St. Charles's church at St. Louis, Mo., in 1848, and the same year was made professor in the Jes- uit novitiate at Flor- issant. He was sub- sequently professor of moral theology at the University of St. Louis. In 1851 he ^ /7D y^ r\ received from Rome

^r^' C^. ^/Tk^^ a command to sub- mit to an appoint- ment as vicar-apostolic of the Indian country east of the Rocky Mountains, and he was con- secrated *' Bishop of Messina," in St. Xavier's church, St. Louis, Mo., by Abp. P. R. Kenrick, assist«*<l by Bisiiops Van de Velde and St, Palais, March 25. 1851. The territory over which he liad charge contained nearly 6000 Roman Catholic Indians. He went to Rome in 1853, where he served as procurator for the Jesuits in the United States during a general congregation of the order in Rome, and he presented to the pope the condi- tion of the American Indians. He removed from the Pottowatomie Mission to Leavenworth. Kan., in 1855. built new churches, procured several priests from Rome, introduced the Benedictine order, and founded a college at Atchison, Kan. Under his auspices an academy, hospital and

asylum were opened at Leavenworth by the Sisters of Charity, and education was greatly ad- vanced among the Indians. He resigned his charge in 1874, resided at the University of St. Louis and founded a college in Detroit, Mich. Bishop Miege died in the house of the Society of Jesus, Woodstock, Md., July 20, 1884.

MIERS, Robert Walter, representative, was born near Greensburg, Decatur county, Ind., Jan. 27, 1848 ; son of Thomas S. and Mahala Miers, and grandson of Thomas Miers. He pre- pared for college at Hartsville academy, and was graduated at the University of Indiana, A.B., 1870, LL.B., 1871. He was married. May 9, 1870, to Belle, daughter of Alfred Ryors of Blooming- ton, Ind. He was admitted to the bar in April, 1872, and settled in practice at Bloomington. He was prosecuting attorney of the tenth judicial circuit of Indiana, 1875-79 ; a representative in the state legislature in 1879, and judge of the tenth judicial district to fill the unexpired term of judge Wilson, deceased, in 1883, and elected for a six-year term. He was the unsuccessful nom- inee for secretary of state in 1886 and 1888. and was a Democratic representative from the second Indiana district in the 55th, 56th, 57th and 58th congresses, 1897-1905. He was a trustee of In- diana university, 1879-93.

MIFFLIN, Thomas, delegate and soldier, was born in Philadelphia, Pa., in 1744 ; son of John and Elizabetli (Bagnall) Mifflin. His parents were Quakers, and he was educated accordingly. He was graduated from the University of Penn- sylvania, A.B., 1760, A.M., 1763, and en- tered the counting- house of William Coleman. He was married to Sarali, daughter of Morris Morris of Philadel- phia. In 1765 he made a tour of Europe, and upon his return enter- ed into a partner- ship with his brother in Philadelphia. He was one of the two representatives from Philadelphia to the state legislature, 1772-74, and a delegate to the Continental congress, 1774-76. He was among the first to organize and train the newly-enlisted troops ; was major of one of the earliest formed regiments, and was at the head of Washington's military family, having been appointed his chief aide-de-camp shortly after the arrival of General Washington at Cambridge. He was appointed quartermaster-general of the army, July 4, 1775,