Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 08.djvu/93

 NILES

NIXDE

NILES, William Harmon, geologist, was born in Northampton, Mass., May 18, 1838; son of the Rev. Asa and Mary Ann (Marcy) Niles, and grandson of Peter Niles. He attended the schools of "VVorthington, Mass., where in 1855 he began teaching. He prepared for his science education at Wilbrahain, Mass., where he was with his uncle, Oliver Marcy, LL.D., of Northwestern university, Evanston, 111., under whose encour- agement in 1862 he entered the Lawrence Scien- titio school. Harvard, and was graduated, S.B., in 1866. For a year he was a student at the Sheffield Scientific school, Yale, and graduated Ph.B. in 1867. He was married in 1869 to Helen M. Plyrapton of Cambridge, Mass. He was the stated lecturer in natural science at the Massa- chusetts State Teacliers' institutes, 1867-77. He delivered public lectures upon geological and geographical subjects, 1867-90, giving a number of full courses at the Lowell Institute, Boston, and at the Peabody Institute, Baltimore. He was appointed professor of physical geology and geography at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1871. He was also made professor of geology at the Boston university in 1875; stated lecturer at Wellesley college, 1882-87, and professor of geology at Wellesley, 1888. The honorary degree of A.M. was conferred on him by the Wesleyan university in 1870. He was president of the Boston Society of Natural His- tory, 1893-97; was three times px-esident of the Appalachian Mountain club; president of the New England Meteorological society, and was elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a fellow of the Geological Society of America, a member of the National Geographic society and corresponding member of the New York Academy of Sciences. In 1902 he was professor and head of the department of geology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and at Wellesley college, and professor of geology in Boston university.

NILES, William Woodruff, second bishop of New Hampsliire and 96th in succession in the American episcopate, was born in Hatley, Lower Canada (now Quebec), May 24, 1832; son of Daniel Swit and Delia (Woodruff) Niles. He was graduated from Trinity college. Hartford, Conn., A.B., 1857, A.M., 1860; was a tutor there, 1857-58, and was graduated from the Berkeley Divinity school in 1861. He was ordered deacon, Maj' 22, 1861; ordained priest. May 1-4, 1862, and was in charge of St. Philip's church, Wiscasset, Maine, 1861-61. He was married, June 5, 1862, to Bertha Olmsted of Hartford, Conn.; was professor of Latin language and literature at Trinity college, 1864-70, editing the Churchman, 1866-67, and serving as rector of St. John's, Warehouse Point, Conn., 1868-70. He was elected second bishop of

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New Hampshire, as successor to Bishop Chase who died, Jan. 18, 1870. and was consecrated. Sept. 21, 1870, at St. Paul's church. Concord, N.H., by Bishops Smith, Williams, Neely, Bissell, Doane and Williams of Quebec. At the time of his consecration he was a British subject, and he became an Ameri- can citizen in Decem- ber, 1873. Trinity conferred on him the honorary degrees of S.T.D. in 1870 and LL.D. in 1896; Dart- mouth that of D.D. in 1879, and Bishops college, P.Q., that of D.C.L. in 1898. He was made president of the corporation of St. Paul's school, of Holderness school and of St. Mary's school. Concord, N.H., a visitor of Trinity from 1870, and a trustee from 1877. He was also a member of the board of managers of domestic and foreign missions; of the commis- sion for revising the prayer-book and of tiiat to revise the marginal readings in the Bible. He is the author of many essays, sermons and addresses. NINDE, William Xavier, M.E. bishop, was born in Cortlandville. N.Y., June 21, 1832; son of the Rev. William Ward Ninde, a well known Metho- dist preacher. He was prepared for college at Rome academy, graduated from the Wesleyan university at Middletown, Conn., A.B., 1855, A.M. 1858; was a teacher in Rome academy, N.Y., 1855-56; joined the Black River conference in 1856, and was stationed successively at Fulton, Theresa, Adams and Rome, N.Y., 1856-60; was transferred to the Cincinnati conference in 1861, and ministered at Mission chapel. Union chapel and Christian chapel; traveled in Europe and Asia, 1868-69; was transferred to the Detroit con- ference in 1870, and was pastor of the Central church, Detroit, Mich., 1870-72. He was profes- sor of practical theology at Garrett Biblical in- stitute, Evanston, 111., 1873-76; was a delegate to the general conference of the Methodist Epis- copal church in 1876; was pastor of Central church, Detroit, 1876-79; president of Garrett Biblical institute, 1879-81; a delegate to the Metuodist Ecumenical conference held in London in 1881, and was elected bishop of the Methodist Episcopal church, May 15, 1884. He was presi- dent of the Methodist conference in China, Japan and Korea, returning to the United States in the spring of 1895, having visited and ministered to the missions in the Orient for several years. The honorary degree of D.D. was conferred on him by