James Irwin Brownson, Sr., D.D. (March 14, 1817 – 1899) was a clergyman and academic in Washington, Pennsylvania.[1][2] He served as pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Washington, Pennsylvania, for over 50 years. [1]

James Irwin Brownson, Sr.
BornMarch 14, 1817
Died1899
EducationWashington College
Western Theological Seminary
ChildrenJames I. Brownson
ChurchPresbyterian
OrdainedOctober 10, 1840, at Greencastle, Pennsylvania (Presbytery of Carlisle)
Congregations served
First Presbyterian Church of Washington, Pennsylvania

Biography edit

He was born on March 14, 1817, in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania. He was ordained by the Presbytery of Carlisle in 1840. He became minister of the First Presbyterian Church of Washington, Pennsylvania, in 1848.[1]

Brownson was elected to the board of trustees of Washington College in 1849 served as President Pro Tem. there from July 13, 1852, until September 20, 1853.[3] He was elected to serve in the consolidated board of Washington & Jefferson College after the union of the two colleges and was made President of the Board in 1882. He again served as President Pro Tem. in 1870.[4] He also served as a trustee of the Washington Female Seminary and of the Western Theological Seminary (now Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.[5]

He died in 1899 in Washington, Pennsylvania.

Legacy edit

His son James Irwin Brownson, Jr. served as Judge of the Washington County Courts of Common Pleas and became the namesake of the Brownson House.[6]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c "Fifty Years a Minister. The Reverend J.I. Brownson's Golden Jubilee to be Celebrated". New York Times. November 25, 1891. The Rev. James I. Brownson, D.D., pastor of the First Presbyterian Church here, and distinguished as a theologian, will on Thanksgiving Day celebrate his golden jubilee, the fiftieth anniversary of his ordination. He has held his present pastorate forty-three years. The entire Washington Presbytery and about 1,500 persons who have at times been in his parish will attend the celebration.
  2. ^ Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania. Chicago: J.H. Beers and Co. 1893. p. 1486. OCLC 58671925.
  3. ^ "James I. Brownson (Pro Tem. 1852-1853)". U. Grant Miller Library Digital Archives. Washington & Jefferson College. 2003-09-04.
  4. ^ "James I. Brownson (Pro Tem. 1870)". U. Grant Miller Library Digital Archives. Washington & Jefferson College. 2003-09-04. Archived from the original on July 16, 2012.
  5. ^ "Fifty Years a Minister; The Reverend J.I. Brownson's Golden Jubilee to be Celebrated". The New York Times. 1891-11-25. Archived from the original on 2018-06-12. Retrieved 2018-07-25.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  6. ^ Eastman, Frank Marshall (1922). "Twenty-sevenths Judicial District". Courts and lawyers of Pennsylvania: a history, 1623-1923. Vol. 3. American Historical Society, Inc. p. 726.

External links edit

  Media related to James I. Brownson at Wikimedia Commons

Academic offices
Preceded by Interim President of Washington College
1852–1853
Succeeded by
Preceded by Interim President of Washington and Jefferson College
1870
Succeeded by