Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 09.djvu/467

 SPEER

SPENCE

officer. He prepared for college at Phillip's academj", Andover, Mass., 1883-85; was grad- uated from the College of New Jersey in 1889, and was a student at Princeton Theological sem- inary in 1890. He was traveling secretary of the Student Volunteer Movement for Foreign Mis- sions, 1889-90; and became secretary of the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions in 1891. He was married, April 20, 1893, to Emma Doll Bailey, daughter of Charles Lukens and Emma Harriet (Doll) Bailey, of Harrisburg, Pa. He made a tour of visitation of Christian Missions in Persia, India, China, Korea and Japan, 1896-97, and received the honorarj- degree of A.M., from Yale university in 1900. He is the author of: Studies in the Book of Acts (1891); Studies in the Gospel of Luke (1893); T}ie Man Christ Jesus (1896); Missions and Politics in Asia (1898); A Memorial of a True Life (1898); Remember Jesus Christ (1899); The 2Ian Paul (1900); Christ and Life (1901); The Principles of Jesus (1903); Presbyterian Foreign Missions (1901); Missionai-y Principles and Practise (1902).

SPEER, William, missionary, was born in New Alexandria, Pa., April 24, 1822; son of Dr. James Ramsey and Hattie (Morrow) Speer; grandson of the Rev. William and Sarah (Ram- sey) Speer, and of Paul and Hettie (Guthrie) Morrow, and a descendant of James Speer and Mary Patterson, of Scotch Covenanter stock. who emigrated from the north of Ireland about 1759; and of Thomas Morrow, lieutenant in the French and Indian war. In 1845 William Speer's father and family removed to Pittsburg, Pa. He was educated at private schools, Western univer- sity and Jefferson and Kenyon colleges, being graduated at the latter in 1840; studied medicine under his father, 1840-43, and theology at the Western Tlieological seminary, Allegheny city. Pa., 1843-46; was licensed to preach by the pres- bytery of Ohio, April 21, 1846. and ordained, June 16, 1846. He was married, - May 7, 1846, to Cornelia, daughter of the Hon. Alexander and Mary (Porter) Brackenridge, of Allegheny, Pa. He was sent as a missionary to China by the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions in July, 1846, to take part in establishing its first mission in Canton. His wife and child died from the effects of the climate in 1847, and he himself was obliged to return to the United States on account of failing health in 1850. He was employed by a Board of Education in western Pennsylvania in 1851; and was married secondly, April 20, 1852, to Elizabeth Breading, daughter of Maj. John Hoge and Ellen (Blaine) Ewing. of Washington, Pa. In 1852 he went as the first preacher in their own tongue to the Chinese in California, where he established a Chinese school, dispensary and mission house; organized the first Chinese church

in America, November, 1853; and edited the Oriental, the first newspaper in Chinese and Eng- lish, 1853-55. His efforts secured a number of important benefits to the Chinese, among them the repeal of a legislative act of 1854-55, exclud- ing Chinese from the mines. He rendered at the Hawaiian Islands in 1856 useful service to missionary labor among the Chinese there; per- formed evangelistic work in the south and in Wisconsin and Minnesota, 1858-65; was elected corresponding secretary of the Presbyterian Board of Education, Philadelphia, 1865; aided in reorganizing and managing it till 1876; traveled in Europe, Japan and China, 1876-77; and subse- quently performed evangelistic labors in several states. In 1903 he was residing in Washington, Pa. He received the honorary degrees of A.M., and LL.D., from Washington and Jefferson college. Pa., and that of D.D., from Center college, Ky. He is the author of: China and the United States (1870); TJie Great Revival of 1800 (1872; rev. ed. 1903); A Permanent Manual of the Board of Education (1874); God's Rule for Christian Giving (1875); and several pamphlets on China and the Chinese, magazine and review articles.

SPEIGHT, Jesse, U.S. senator, was born in Green county, N.C., Sept. 22, 1795. He was a representative in the legislature in 1822, and was a member of the state senate, 1823-27; and a Democratic representative from North Carolina in the 21st-24th congresses. 1829-37. He removed to Plymouth, Miss., and after serving in the state house of representatives, was elected a Democratic senator from Mississippi in 1845, as successor to John Henderson and served until his death, when he was succeeded by Jefferson Davis, who took his seat Dec. 6, 1847, by appointment of the gov- ernor, and was subsequently elected to complete the term. Senator Speight died in Plymouth, Miss., May 1, 1847.

SPENCE, John Fletclier, educator, was born in Greenfield, Ohio, Feb. 3, 1828; son of Stephen and Matilda Spence; grandson of William and Martha Spence of Virginia, and a descendant of the Hon. John Spence of Scotland. He was educated in the Ohio Wesleyan university, 1851-54, receiving the degree A.'M., prohonore, 1864, and that of A.B., in cursu, 1894. He was a minister in the Cincinnati conference, 1854-62; served as chaplain in the Federal army, 1862-65; was transferred to the Holston conference, in Tennessee, and served as president of the Knox- ville Female college, 1865-68. He organized the first M. E. church in Knoxville after the war. He was married, August, 1865, to Elizabeth Elliot, daughter of William and Emily Carey, of Jacks- boro, Tenn. In 1867 he founded the East Ten- nessee Wesleyan college at Athens, Tenn., raising