Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 09.djvu/41

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RANKIN, Jeremiah Eames, educator, was born in Thornton, N.H., Jan. 2, 1828; son of the Rev, Andrew and Lois (Eames) Rankin; grand- son of Andrew and Dolly (French) Rankin, and of Col. Jeremiah and Persis (Williams) Eames; great-grandson of James and Margaret (Witherspoon) Ran- kin, and of Col. Wil- liam and Zilpah (Wil- der) Williams. His great- grandfather, James Rankin, a na- tive of Paisley, Scot- land, emigrated from Glasgow to Salem, Mass., 1776, and sub- sequently settled in Thornton, and later in Littleton, N.H. He was graduated from Middlebury col- lege, Vermont, A.B., 1848, A.M., 1851; taught classics in New London, Conn., 1849-50; in War- ren county, Ky., 1848-49; at Middlebury, Vt., 1850-51; at Sanbornton, N.H., 1851-52, and was graduated at Andover Theological seminary in 1854. He was married, Nov. 28, 1854, to Mary Howell, daughter of Cyrus and Adeline (Friiik) Birge of Middlebury, Vt. He was ordained to the Congregational ministry, Feb. 27, 1855; was pastor of Presbyterian churches at Potsdam, N.Y., 1854-55; St. Albans, Vt., 1855-62; Lowell, Mass., 1862-64; Charlestown, Mass., 1864-69, and at Washington, D.C., 1869-84, serving as chaplain of the district senate; as trustee of Howard university, Washington, 1870-78, and as professor of homiletics and pastoral theology there, 1878-84. He was pastor of Orange, N.J., 1884-89, and in 1889 was elected president of Howard universitj^ acce^jting the office on Jan. 1, 1890; was a delegate to various Congrega- tional national unions in the United States and Europe; a corporate member of the A.B.C.F.M.; a member of the Sons of the American Revolu tion, and of the Society of the Cincinnati, three of his ancestors having served in the Revolution. He received from Middlebury the honorary de- grees D.D., 1869, and LL.D., 1889. He statedly contributed to the Bibliotlieca Sacra, the Inde- pendent and other religious papers; was editor of Pilgrim Press; contributor to Christian Thought; Our Day and Congregational Review, and wrote the hymns: God be xcith yon till ive meet again; Ood and Home and Native Land; Keep Your Colors Flying; TT7i?/ Art TJiou Silent, Bethlehem? and Droop Low To-day. Thou Banner Fair. He is also the author of: Aidd Scotch Mither, Ingle- side Rhaims, and Other Poems in the Scotch Dia-

lect (1873); Ingleside Rhymes (1887); Esther Burr's Journal (1901); translations from the Ger- man in "German-English lyrics"; and the ser- mons: Suhduing Kingdoms (1881); The Hotel of God (1883); Atheism of the Heart {lH8i), and Christ His Own Interpreter (1884).

RANKIN, William Brodshaw, educationist, was born in Green county, Tenn., Sept. 3, 1825; son of Anthony and Margaret (Grey) Rankin; grandson of William and Sarah (Moore) Rankin, natives of Pennsylvania who went to East Ten- nessee in 1780, and a descendant of one of three brothers, James, John and Hugh Rankin, who came from Ireland to Philadelphia in 1721; and of John Grey who came from Scotland about 1800. He was brought up on a farm and learned black- smithing. He was graduated at Amherst, A.B., 1852, A.M., 1855.; was married at Amity, N.Y., Aug. 18, 1852, to Jane, daughter of Daniel and AUetta (Edstill) Carpenter; was principal of Rhea academy, Greenville, Tenn., 1852-54; pres- ident of Greenville college, 1854-58; professor of mathematics, Tusculum college, 1859-61; was exiled in 1861, and lived in New York state, 1864- 66. He canvassed the state for Lincoln and Johnson in 1864; was principal of the graded schools of Wellsville, N.Y., 1864-66; returned to Tennessee and was ordained Presbyterian min- ister in 1866; was president of Washington col- lege, Tennessee, 1866-74; aided in organizing the public school system of Tennessee; was superin- tendent of public instruction for Greene county; assisted Dr. Sears in the distribution of the Peabody school fund and in establishing schools for freedmen under the U.S. government, and was district superintendent of the work of the American Bible societj'^ in Tennessee and Texas, 1874-98. He served as financial agent of Wash- ington college, 1898-1900, and on June 1, 1900, became general secretary of the John C. Martin educational fund. He made his residence in .Austin, Texas, and had liis office in New York city. He received the honorary degree of D.D. from Washington college, Tennessee, 1893.

RANKINE, James, educator, was born in Ayrshire, Scotland, Nov. 5, 1827; son of John Rankine. He emigrated with his parents fi-om Scotland to New York, and settled in Cauandaigua. He was graduated from Union college, A.B., 1846, A.M., 1849; was a tutor in Trinity college, Hartford, Conn., 1848-51; librarian, 1849-52; ad- junct professor of mathematics, 1851-54, and pro- fessor of natural science there, 1852-54. He studied at the Berkeley Divinity school in 1850; was ordained to the P.E. ministry, and subse- quently stationed as rector at Windsor, Conn., 1850-54; at St. Paul's church, Owego, N.Y., 1854- 61, and at St. Peter's church, Geneva. N.Y.. 1861- 96. He was a trustee of Hobart college, 1860-76;