Andrew Preston Peabody (March 19, 1811March 10, 1893) was an American clergyman and author. Born in

Beverly, Massachusetts Beverly is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, and a suburb of Boston. The population was 42,670 at the time of the 2020 United States Census. A resort, residential, and manufacturing community on the Massachusetts North Shore, Beverly incl ...

, Peabody was descended from Lieut. Francis Peabody of

St. Albans St Albans () is a cathedral city in Hertfordshire, England, east of Hemel Hempstead and west of Hatfield, north-west of London, south-west of Welwyn Garden City and south-east of Luton. St Albans was the first major town on the old Roman r ...

, who emigrated to

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

in 1635. He learned to read before he was three years old, entered

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher lea ...

at the age of twelve, and graduated in 1826, the youngest graduate of Harvard with the single exception of Paul Dudley (class of 1690). In 1833 Peabody became assistant pastor of the South Parish ( Unitarian) of

Portsmouth, New Hampshire Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. At the 2020 census it had a population of 21,956. A historic seaport and popular summer tourist destination on the Piscataqua River bordering the state of Maine, Portsmou ...

; the senior pastor died before Peabody had been preaching a month, and he succeeded to the charge of the church, which he held until 1860. In 1853 to 1863 he was proprietor and editor of the ''

North American Review The ''North American Review'' (NAR) was the first literary magazine in the United States. It was founded in Boston in 1815 by journalist Nathan Hale and others. It was published continuously until 1940, after which it was inactive until revived a ...

''. He was elected a member of the

American Antiquarian Society The American Antiquarian Society (AAS), located in Worcester, Massachusetts, is both a learned society and a national research library of pre-twentieth-century American history and culture. Founded in 1812, it is the oldest historical society in ...

in 1856. From 1843 to 1885 he served as a trustee of Phillips Exeter Academy. Peabody was preacher to Harvard University and the Plummer professor of Christian morals from 1860 to 1881, and was professor emeritus from 1881 until his death in Boston, Massachusetts, shortly before his 82nd birthday. A bronze tablet dedicated to his memory is found in Appleton Chapel,

Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As part of the Boston metropolitan area, the cities population of the 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the fourth most populous city in the state, behind Boston, ...

(see the ''Memoir'' by Edward J. Young, Cambridge, 1896). The inscription on the tablet concludes with: "''He moved among the teachers and students of Harvard College, and wist not that his face shone.''" Andrew Peabody was an accomplished scholar, and also a firm believer in ethical behavior. He championed many causes during his life, including peace, the end of slavery, the education of women, and better treatment for the mentally ill. The Peabody School in Cambridge, Massachusetts was founded in 1889. The original building was three stories high and cost $25,000. That building was razed and a new one built in 1962 at a cost of $1,420,000. In 2003, the Peabody School was relocated to its current facility, which received extensive renovations and additions in 2001. The Peabody School today continues to represent the two things for which Andrew Peabody is remembered: the pursuit of academic excellence, coupled with a caring and respect for others.

Published works

In addition to brief memoirs and articles, Peabody wrote: * ''Christianity the Religion of Nature'' (2 vol. ed., 1864) *''Lowell Institute Lectures; Reminiscences of European Travel'' (1868) *''A Manual of Moral Philosophy'' (1873) *''Christian Belief and Life'' (1875) *''Harvard Reminiscences'' (1888).

References

External links

* * * * https://web.archive.org/web/20051126142925/http://www.harvardsquarelibrary.org/UIA%20Online/13-8peabodyandrew.html * https://web.archive.org/web/20060929035308/http://www.harvardsquarelibrary.org/HVDpresidents/peabody.php Summary of his career, including acting president of Harvard {{DEFAULTSORT:Peabody, Andrew Preston 1811 births 1893 deaths American Unitarian clergy 19th-century Christian clergy 19th-century American memoirists Writers from Boston Harvard College alumni Harvard University faculty Clergy from Boston People from Beverly, Massachusetts Writers from Portsmouth, New Hampshire Members of the American Antiquarian Society 19th-century American clergy