Daniel Merriman (December 3, 1838 – September 18, 1912) was an American Congregational minister and art collector. With his wife, Helen Bigelow Merriman, he was a cofounder of the Worcester Art Museum and served as its first president.

Biography

Daniel Merriman was born in Bennington, Vermont, to Addison Merriman and Prudence (Adams) Merriman. He was educated at Williams College, from which he graduated in 1863. During the Civil War, he served as a first lieutenant and as an

adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of human resources in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed forces as a non-commission ...

to an Illinois regiment. At war's end, he entered Andover Theological Seminary, graduating with a

Doctor of Divinity A Doctor of Divinity (D.D. or DDiv; la, Doctor Divinitatis) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity. In the United Kingdom, it is considered an advanced doctoral degree. At the University of Oxford, doctors of divinity are ran ...

degree in 1868. Merriman's first ministry was in

Norwich, Connecticut Norwich ( ) (also called "The Rose of New England") is a city in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The Yantic, Shetucket, and Quinebaug Rivers flow into the city and form its harbor, from which the Thames River flows south to Long ...

, at the Broadway Congregational Church. In 1874, he married the artist and philanthropist Helen Bigelow Merriman, and they had a son,

Roger Bigelow Merriman Roger Bigelow Merriman (24 May 1876 – 7 September 1945) was an American historian and a practitioner of scientific historiography developed by German historians. He is known especially for his multivolume history of the Spanish Empire.Garret ...

, who became a historian. They settled in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1878, where he served for 22 years as minister at the Central Congregational Church. Merriman and his wife led the drive to construct a new building for the Congregational Church at the corner of Grove St. and Institute Rd. Designed by architect

Stephen C. Earle Stephen Carpenter Earle (January 4, 1839 – December 12, 1913) was an architect who designed a number of buildings in Massachusetts and Connecticut that were built in the late 19th century, with many in Worcester, Massachusetts. He trained in ...

in the Romanesque Revival style, it was completed in 1885; today the building is known as the United Congregational Church. Merriman was one of the original founders and trustees of the Worcester Art Museum, and he drafted the museum's bylaws. When it opened in 1898, he served as its first president, and he sat on various administrative committees. When he died, the trustees wrote that next to

Stephen Salisbury III Stephen Salisbury III (1835–1905), also referred to as Stephen Salisbury Jr., was an American businessman, lawyer, and politician. The son of a wealthy landowner, Salisbury helped manage the family's extensive properties and businesses in Worce ...

, "the Worcester Art Museum owes most to Daniel Merriman, under whose administration it has won position, prestige, and the confidence of the public". In 1910, Joseph DeCamp painted a portrait of Merriman that was later donated to the museum. Merriman also served as a trustee for the Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Williams College, and Atlanta University. He died of

heart disease Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels. CVD includes coronary artery diseases (CAD) such as angina and myocardial infarction (commonly known as a heart attack). Other CVDs include stroke, hea ...

in Intervale, New Hampshire.

Notes and references

External links

United Congregational Church, Worcester
{{DEFAULTSORT:Merriman, Daniel 1838 births 1912 deaths American Congregationalist ministers People from Bennington, Vermont Union Army officers Andover Theological Seminary alumni People associated with the Worcester Art Museum Museum founders 19th-century American philanthropists Williams College alumni