William W. Bennett (educator)

William Wallace Bennett
William Wallace Bennett
6th President of Randolph-Macon College
	In office; 1877–1886
Preceded by	James A. Duncan
Succeeded by	William Waugh Smith
Personal details
Born	February 24, 1821; Richmond, Virginia, US
Died	June 7, 1887 (aged 66); Louisa County, Virginia, US
Resting place	Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia
Alma mater	University of Virginia
Occupation	Minister, College President

William Wallace Bennett (1821–1887) was an American Methodist preacher and educator. He served as a Confederate chaplain during the American Civil War of 1861–1865. He served as the President of Randolph–Macon College from 1877 to 1886.[1]

Biography

Early life

William Wallace Bennett was born in Richmond, Virginia,[1] on February 24, 1821.[2] He was raised as a Methodist, and 'born again' in 1839 in Portsmouth, Virginia.

Career

He served as a Methodist preacher in rural Virginia from 1843 to 1847 and in Charlottesville, Virginia, from 1848 to 1849. Enabled by his proximity during the late 1840s, he attended classes at the University of Virginia and graduated in 1850.[1]

During the American Civil War (1861–65), he served as Superintendent of the Soldier's Tract Association as well as a Confederate chaplain.[3] In this latter role, he preached to soldiers who were serving in the Confederate States Army. In the winter of 1865, he ran a blockade in Charleston, South Carolina.

From 1867 to 1877, he served as editor of the Christian Advocate in Richmond, Virginia. His 1877 Narrative of the Great Revival talked about his experience as a Confederate chaplain.[2][4] The book has been digitalized by Tufts University.[5] He wrote two other books about the Methodist faith.

He served as the President of Randolph–Macon College in Ashland, Virginia, from 1877 to 1886.[1] He retired due to failing health and died in Woodbourne, Louisa County, Virginia, on June 7, 1887.[2]

Bibliography

Memorials of Methodism in Virginia
Narrative of the Great Revival (1877)
A History of Methodism for Our Young People.

References

Scanlon, James Edward (1983). Randolph-Macon College: A Southern History, 1825–1967. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia. pp. 216–219.
Euan Hague, Heidi Beirich, Edward H. Sebesta, Neo-Confederacy: A Critical Introduction, University of Texas Press, 2009, p. 54
Mark Summers, The Great Harvest: Revival in the Confederate Army During the Civil War, Acton Institute, Volume 21, Number 3
Bruce T. Gourley, Diverging Loyalties: Baptists in Middle Georgia During the Civil War, Macon, Georgia: Mercer University Press, 2011, p. 104
Tufts University: Narrative of the Great Revival

Academic offices
Preceded by James A. Duncan	President of Randolph-Macon College 1877–1886	Succeeded by William Waugh Smith

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.

[Scanlon-1] Scanlon, James Edward (1983). Randolph-Macon College: A Southern History, 1825–1967. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia. pp. 216–219.

[euan-2] Euan Hague, Heidi Beirich, Edward H. Sebesta, Neo-Confederacy: A Critical Introduction, University of Texas Press, 2009, p. 54

[acton-3] Mark Summers, The Great Harvest: Revival in the Confederate Army During the Civil War, Acton Institute, Volume 21, Number 3

[brucetgourley-4] Bruce T. Gourley, Diverging Loyalties: Baptists in Middle Georgia During the Civil War, Macon, Georgia: Mercer University Press, 2011, p. 104

[5] Tufts University: Narrative of the Great Revival