John W. Hamilton (1871)

John Wm. HamiltonThe son of a Methodist preacher in the Pittsburgh Conference, as adults, both Hamilton and his brother, Franklin E. E. Hamilton, became bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church.  He served briefly in the Union Army before graduating from Mount Union College, Ohio, in 1865.  He initially joined the Pittsburgh Conference, but transferred to the New England Conference and served churches in and around Boston until 1892 when he became the corresponding secretary of the Freedman’s Aid and Southern Education Society.  Elected bishop in 1900, Hamilton devoted his energy to raising funds for the construction of new churches.  After his retirement, he served as chancellor for American University.

Sources:

  • Cary, Seth C. A Catalogue of the Alpha Chapter Boston University: Graduates of the School of Theology, 1850-1905. Boston: Published by the Biographical Secretary, 1906.
  • Earl, Jesse A. and Albea Godbold, “Hamilton, John W.” in Harmon, Nolan B. The Encyclopedia of World Methodism. Nashville: United Methodist Pub. House, 1974.