Son of Lyman and Roxana (Foote) Beecher. When he was a little more than eleven years old his father moved to Boston. There he had the advantage of the Latin school, afterwards studying at Lawrence academy, Groton, Mass., and from that institution went to Bowdoin college, graduating in 1834. His theological course followed in Lane seminary, Ohio, of which his father was president. For seven years he followed mercantile pursuits in New Orleans and Indianapolis, and in 1844 he was installed pastor of the Second Presbyterian church in Fort Wayne, Ind., where he remained nearly seven years, and which he left to take the pastorate of the First Congregational church in Newark, N.J., in 1851. He resigned his charge in Newark, and removed to Georgetown, Mass., in 1857, where he became pastor of the First Congregational church. From 1870 to 1877 he resided in Florida, acting as superintendent of state education for two years. In 1885 he was acting pastor in Wysox, Pa. Among Mr. Beecher's published works were: The Incarnation: or, Pictures of the Virgin and her Son (1849); David and his Throne (1855); Pen Pictures of the Bible (1855); Autobiography and Correspondence of Lyman Beecher (ed. 1863); Redeemer and Redeemed (1864); Spiritual Manifestations (1879); Eden Tableau (1880), and Patmos (1896). He also selected hymns and music for the Plymouth Collection. He was a thoroughly competent musician, and was employed as organist in churches, 1837-'43. He died at Georgetown, Mass., April 21, 1900.[p.248] BDNA

Well known for his work on the trilobites.

He was the first president of Illinois College (1830-1844), and founder of The Congregationalist (1849).

Son of ¤Lyman and Roxana (Foote) Beecher, he was graduated at Yale in 1822; fitted for the ministry at Andover, Mass., and New Haven, Conn., and was a tutor in the Hartford high school and at Yale, in 1825. He was pastor of the Park St. Congregational church, Boston, Mass., 1826-30, president of Illinois college, Jacksonville Ill., 1830-44, pastor of the Salem St. church, Boston, 1844-55, and of the Congregational church at Galesburg, Ill., 1855-70. He was also professor of Biblical exegesis in the Chicago theological seminary, became assistant to his brother in the editorial management of the Christian Union at Brooklyn, N.Y. in 1872, and pastor of the Congregational church at Parkville, N.Y. in 1885. He was also editor-in-charge of the Congregationalist for several years. He was run over by a railroad train in 1888 and although he had his leg amputated, entirely recovered from the shock. The degree of D.D. was conferred upon Mr. Beecher by Marietta college in 1841. His best known works are: The Conflict of Ages and The Concord of Ages, in which he announces the view that man is in a progressive state — the present life being the outcome of a former one, and the preparation of another life after death. Evil, however, will continue in the future life, and the struggle between it and good will still go on until some far-off future, when evil will be finally subdued, and universal harmony be forever established. The utterance of such radical views in regard to the future life necessarily made a profound impression upon the thought of the day and aroused much comment.

He died at his home in Brooklyn, N.Y., July 28, 1895. BDNA

Son of Charles Beecher and grandson of Lyman Beecher. After his graduation from Bowdoin college, in 1862, he enlisted in the 16th Maine volunteers, and was made sergeant of his company. He was promoted to be 2d and 1st lieutenant, and served in the army of the Potomac. His first battle was Fredericksburg. At Gettysburg he sustained severe wounds, and was transferred to the veteran reserve corps. When a lieutenant and acting adjutant-general, he was on duty in the Freedmen's bureau in Washington. At the end of the war he was given a lieutenant's commission in the regular army, was assigned to frontier duty in Kansas, and saw active service in Indian campaigns. In July, 1866, he was promoted 1st lieutenant, U.S.A., and was killed in an encounter with the Indians near Fort Wallace, Kansas, Sept. 17, 1868. BDNA

HOOKER, Isabella Beecher, philanthropist, was born in Litchfield, Conn., Feb. 22, 1822; daughter of ¤Lyman and Harriet (Porter) Beecher, She was educated at the schools of her sister ¤Catharine in Hartford, Conn., and in Cincinnati, Ohio. She was married in 1841 to John Hooker, a lawyer of Hartford, and became a student of social, political and religious questions. When she reached middle life she became, on a careful study of its phenomena, a believer in spiritualism. In later life she gave in different cities and towns throughout the New England and Middle states "Conversations" on current topics, which became popular, especially in women's clubs and for parlor entertainment. She is the author of: Womanhood, its Sanctities and Fidelities (1873); The Constitutional Rights of the Women of the United States (1888), an address before the International Council of Woman, Washington, D.C., March 30, 1888, and magazine articles. BDNA

He was educated under his father at Lane seminary, Cincinnati, Ohio, and after graduating at Dartmouth, in 1848, pursued his studies in theology at Andover, and was ordained a Congregational minister, May 10, 1856. He went as missionary to Canton, China, and was chaplain of the Seamen's Bethel in that place and in Hong Kong until 1861. He then returned to the United States to take part in the civil war, and was commissioned as chaplain of the 1st New York infantry, serving in 1861-'62. He was then commissioned lieutenant-colonel of the 141st N.Y. regiment, serving about a year, when he was transferred to the 35th U.S. colored troops, promoted as colonel and served from 1863 to 1866, when he was mustered out of the volunteer service as brevet brigadier-general. He returned to the ministry, and was settled in Oswego, N. Y., from 1867 to 1870; in Poughkeepsie from 1870 to [p.251] 1873, and then in Brooklyn in 1881-'82. During these years his health had gradually given way to mental disorder. It was hoped a course of the water-cure treatment would be of benefit, but it failed, his sufferings increased, and he ended his own life at Elmira, N.Y., Aug. 25, 1886. BDNA

He was a Congregational clergyman at Elmira, NY (1854-1900), and a pioneer in the "institutional church" movement.

His father directed his studios until he entered Andover theological seminary. He was ordained a clergyman in the Congregational church in 1830, and took his first pastorate at Newport, R.I. In 1833 Yale college conferred upon him the honorary degree of A.M. He went to Ohio in 1837 and located in Putnam, Muskingum county. He remained in the Western Reserve some years, engaged in missionary work, and returned to New York to fill a pastorate at Batavia. He returned to Ohio and preached at Toledo, where he established a church, of which he was pastor for several years, and was made president of Illinois college, Jacksonville, in 1843¹. The climate undermined his health, and he returned east and labored in Reading and North Brookfield, Mass., at which latter place he also served as postmaster. Upon the death of his wife he took up his residence with his daughters, Mary and Roxana, in Chicago, where he died June 23, 1889. BDNA

¹ He was never president of Illinois college, nor of any other college.