Gamaliel Smith Olds, a Congregational minister, was born February 11, 1777, in Tolland, Massachusetts. He graduated from

Williams College Williams College is a Private college, private liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It was established as a men's college in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams, a col ...

in 1801; held the position of tutor from 1803 to 1805; and in 1806 was elected professor of mathematics and

natural philosophy Natural philosophy or philosophy of nature (from Latin ''philosophia naturalis'') is the philosophical study of physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior throu ...

, but resigned in 1808, and studied theology, and was ordained co-pastor in Greenfield, Massachusetts, November 19, 1813, where he remained until 1816. In 1819 he was chosen professor of mathematics and natural philosophy at the

University of Vermont The University of Vermont (UVM), officially the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Burlington, Vermont. It was founded in 1791 and is amon ...

; and in 1821 professor of the same studies in

Amherst College Amherst College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts. Founded in 1821 as an attempt to relocate Williams College by its then-president Zephaniah Swift Moore, Amherst is the third oldest institution of higher educatio ...

. Some years afterwards he filled the same chair at the

University of Georgia , mottoeng = "To teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things.""To serve" was later added to the motto without changing the seal; the Latin motto directly translates as "To teach and to inquire into the nature of things." , establ ...

. He died from the effects of an accident at Circleville, Ohio on June 13, 1848. Olds published an ''Inaugural Oration at Williams College'' (1806); ''The Substance of several Sermons upon the subjects of Episcopacy and Presbyterian Purity'' (1815); and ''Statement of Facts relative to the Appointment to the Office of Professor of Chemistry in

Middlebury College Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college in Middlebury, Vermont. Founded in 1800 by Congregationalists, Middlebury was the first operating college or university in Vermont. The college currently enrolls 2,858 undergraduates from all ...

'' (1818). See Sprague, ''Annals of the Ame. Pulpit'' 2:586.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Olds, Gamaliel Smith 1777 births 1848 deaths American Congregationalist ministers People from Massachusetts Williams College alumni Williams College faculty University of Vermont faculty Amherst College faculty University of Georgia faculty American religious writers