Timothy Dwight IV
Academic, Educator, Theologian,
Minister,
Legislator, Author, Yale President
Timothy
Dwight IV was born in Northampton , Massachusetts to Timothy Dwight III , a farmer, merchant and
Revolutionary War Major. His mother was Mary Edwards, the third daughter of
renowned theologian Jonathan Edwards.
The oldest
of twelve siblings, Timothy was a brilliant youngster and is said to have read
the Bible by the time he was five years old and was teaching local Indians by
the age of seven. Besides learning Latin and Greek, he met the Yale entrance
requirements by the time he was eight, but waited to enter the college until he
was thirteen. His long hours of study led to deteriorating eyesight and other health
issues that plagued him throughout his life. He received his B.A. in 1769 and
his M.A. in 1772.
Dwight
served as rector of a grammar school for two years before returning to Yale to
serve as a tutor from 1771-1777. The
year 1777 proved to be a consequential year for Dwight as during that year he
was licensed to preach and was appointed as chaplain in the Connecticut
Continental Brigade where he served with distinction. That same year he married
Mary Woolsey, daughter of well connected banker and merchant Benjamin Woolsey.
It was also in 1777 that his father died though news of it didn’t arrive until
over a year later. In 1778 he resigned his commission and returned to Northampton , Massachusetts to support his mother and help
raise his younger siblings. He also managed the family farms, preached, and
established a coed school. During that period he also served two terms in the Massachusetts legislature.
Timothy
Dwight began to draw public acclaim in 1776 while at Yale during an address
when he noted the unique national identity of Americans as:
|
Timothy Dwight IV by John Trumbull |
In 1783 He
became the minister of Greenfield Hill, a Congregational church in Fairfield, Connecticut . He also established a highly respected and sought
after academy. There he combated the ideology of Deism. His “Discourse on the
Genuineness and Authenticity of the New Testament” became a powerful tool
defending orthodox Christianity.
He was
elected as the President of Yale in 1795. During his tenure at Yale, he was
credited with advancing Yale’s profile and academic scope. He taught classes, preached
the Word of God, and was instrumental in bringing revival. It has been said
that a third of the student body came to faith during this time and was part of
the Second Great Awakening.
In
addition to authoring books, Dwight also penned several hymns, one I Love
Thy Kingdom, Lord, is believed to be the oldest hymn by an American still
in common use.
Timothy
Dwight IV died of cancer in 1817 and was buried in Grove Street Cemetery , New Haven , Connecticut .
Well written article, Janet. I'm struck by the way Yale University has evolved since Timothy Dwight was its president.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, Cynthia. A number of "esteemed" universities (Harvard, Princeton) like Yale were established to teach the Word of God, and yes, they have "evolved".
ReplyDeleteWhat a neat look at the author of one of my favorite hymns! Thank you Janet.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you enjoyed the post Judith. Timothy Dwight IV sure didn't let any grass grow under his feet.
ReplyDeleteYou know, he died at a fairly young age, yet look at all he accomplished! Wow. Great post.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, Debbie, he was a real over-achiever, something not uncommon to oldest children.
ReplyDelete