Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 09.djvu/90

 RHEA

RHEES

ence preceding the war in Florida, 1818, and is the author of the ' ' Rhea Letter " written to James Monroe in 1^31 during President Jackson's ad- ministration. He was actively connected with the progress of higher education in Tennessee, being appointed a charter trustee of Greeneville college. 1794 ; of "Washington college, 1795, and of Eiist Tennessee college, 1807. He died in Suli- van. Tenn.. May 27. 1832.

RHEA, John S., representative, was born in Russellville. Logan county, Ky., Marcli 9, 1855. He attended Bethel college, Russellville, and Washington and Lee university. Lexington, Va.; studied law ; was admitted to tiie bar in 1873, and establislied himself in practice at Russell- ville. He was prosecuting attorney of Logan county, 1878-84 ; Democratic presidential elec- tor in 1884 and 1888. and a delegate to the Democratic national conventions of 1893 and 1896, proposing at the latter the name of Senator J. C. S. Blackburn for presidential nominee. He was Democratic representative from the tliird Kentucky district in the 55th. 56th and 57th congresses, 1897-1903, and was re-elected to the 58th congress in November, 1902, for the term expiring in 1905.

RHEA, William Francis, representative, was born in Wasliington county. Va., April 20. 1859 ; son of Josepii W. and Elizabeth Rhea. He at- tended the Oldfield school : worked on a farm, and was a student in King college, Bristol, Tenn., 1875-78. He was married in November, 1878, to Mary Chester, daughter of V. and Mary (Chester) Keebler of Bristol. Va. He was admitted to the bar in 1879 and began practice in Bristol ; was judge of the county court of Washington county, 1881-85 ; state senator, 1885-89, and judge of the city court of Bristol, 1890-95 when he resigned, and resumed the practice of law in Bristol. He was a Democratic representative from the ninth district of Virginia in the 56th and 57th congresses, 1899-1903, and was a candidate for re-election to the 58th congress, but was defeated by Campbell Slemp. After the election Congressman Rhea published the statement that if a certificate of election should be issued by the Virginia state board to himself based on the exclusion of the votes of precincts Pattison and Mendota, he he should decline to accept it, believing that the votes belong'^d to his opponent.

RHEES, Benjamin Rush, educator, was born in Chicago. III., Feb. 8. 18G0 : son of John Evans and Annie (McCutchen) Rhees ; grandson of Morgan John and Grace (Evans) Rhees, and of William Moore and Eliza (St. Jolm) McCutchen, and a descendant of Morgan John Rhees, who came to Philadelphia from Glamorganshire, Wales, in 1794. He was graduated from Am- herst college in 1883, and from Hartford Theo-

logical seminary in 1888. He was Walker in- structor in mathematics at Amherst, 1883-85 r pastor of the Middle Street Bapti.st church, Ports- mouth. N.H., 1889-92; associate professor of New TesUiment interpretation at the Newton Tlieolo- gical Institution, Newton Centre, Mass., 1892-94; full professor, 1894-1900, and in 1900 became president of the University of Rochester, suc- ceeding David Jayne Hill (q.v.). He was mar- ried. July 6, 1899, to Harriet Chapin, daughter of President L. Clark Seelye of Smith college. The degree of A.M. was conferred on him in 1897 by Amherst for special work and thesis ; the honor- ary degree of LL.D. by Amherst in 1900, and that of D.D. by Colgate in 1901. He is the author of : Tlie Life of Jesus of Nazareth, a Study (1900); and many articles on biblical sub- jects in the leading journals and periodicals.

RHEES, William Jones, bibliographer, was born in Pliiladelphia. Pa., March 13, 1830; son of Dr. Benjamin Rush and Margaret Grace (Evans) Rhees, and grandson of the Rev. Morgan John and Ann (Loxley) Rhees or Rhys, and of Evan Rice and Grace (Wallis) Evans. The Rev. Morgan John Rhys, a native of Gla- morganshire, Wales, immigrated to the United States in 1794, and after residing in Philadelphia, Pa., purchased, in connec- tion with Dr. Benja- min Rush, a large tract of land in Pennsylvania, which he called Cambria, and formed Cambria county. He founded

Beulah as the capital of this tract, with a number of Welsh colonists in 1798, but subse quently settled in Somerset county, Pa., where he served as judge, appointed by Governor Mifflin. William Jones Rhees was graduated at the Central High school, Philadelphia, Pa.. A.B., 1847, A.M., 1852 ; became a clerk and draughts- man in the office of the Holland Land company at Meadville, Pa., in 1847, and a clerk in the cen- sus office in Washington, D.C., in 1850. where he had charge of the division of social statistics and miscellaneous printing until 1853. He served as secretary of the executive committee of the United States for the Industrial Exhibition in London, 1851 ; was private secretary to Professor Joseph Henry of the Smitlisonian Institution. 1853-S8 ; chief clerk of the Institution from 1853, and at various times (1884-87) acting secretary of the Institution. He was married, Nov. 13. 1856,