George Richard Crooks (February 3, 1822

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

– February 20, 1897) was an American

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...

minister, writer, and educator.

Early career

George Crooks was born in Philadelphia, the son of George R. Crooks, Sr. and Mary M. Crooks. He graduated from

Dickinson College , mottoeng = Freedom is made safe through character and learning , established = , type = Private liberal arts college , endowment = $645.5 million (2022) , president = J ...

in 1840 at the age of 18, and, according to his yearbooks, his family was then residing in Adams, Illinois. Following graduation he undertook missionary work as a circuit rider in Illinois. He soon returned to Dickinson, and in the 1841-2 ''Catalogue of the Officers and Students of Dickinson College,'' Crooks is listed as "Tutor in Languages and Mathematics." George Crooks received his A. M. degree from Dickinson College in 1843. He then accepted a position as principal of the Dickinson-College Grammar school, and in his third year was listed as "Rev. George R. Crooks, A.M." In 1846 he was promoted to Adjunct Professor of Latin and Greek.

Family life

Rev. George Crooks married Susan Frances Emory ("Fanny") of Baltimore on July 10, 1846. She was a daughter of Bishop

John Emory John Emory (April 11, 1789 – 1835) was an American bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, elected in 1832. He is the namesake for Emory University and Emory & Henry College, both Methodist-affiliated American universities. Early life an ...

, and sister to Robert Emory, who was president of

Dickinson College , mottoeng = Freedom is made safe through character and learning , established = , type = Private liberal arts college , endowment = $645.5 million (2022) , president = J ...

. George and Susan Crooks had at least seven children. Their firstborn was George William Crooks, born in 1847, who died in 1853. After the death from

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...

of Robert Emory at age 33, their next child was named Robert Emory Crooks. He died as a young child in 1857. Mary Crooks, the oldest daughter, was born in Pennsylvania in 1851, married an Englishman, William Perry, and resided at Chislehurst, Kent. Fanny Elizabeth Crooks, also married an Englishman, Harry Withers Chubb. Daughters Katherine ("Kate") Morgan and Nellie Crooks lived at home for many years and were unmarried. Kate became an English professor at Milwaukee–Downer College after her father's death.

The Methodist Conference

After completing his master's degree at Dickinson, Rev. George Crooks joined the Philadelphia Conference of the

Methodist Episcopal Church The Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) was the oldest and largest Methodist denomination in the United States from its founding in 1784 until 1939. It was also the first religious denomination in the US to organize itself on a national basis. In ...

in 1843. He held thirteen positions as minister in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New York, and spent five years in the role of

supernumerary Supernumerary means "exceeding the usual number". Supernumerary may also refer to: * Supernumerary actor, a performer in a film, television show, or stage production who has no role or purpose other than to appear in the background, more commonl ...

minister (1870–1875). His Church positions are shown below.

Churches in Pennsylvania and Delaware

Churches in New York

Publications

In 1860 Crooks became editor of ''The Methodist,'' a publication described by a colleague as "the doughty unofficial rival of the official weekly – ''The Christian Advocate''." In conjunction with John McClintock, he prepared a series of "First Books" in Latin and Greek (1846–1847). In 1852 Crooks edited a republication of Butler's ''Analogy'', for which he added an analysis, index, and biography. He wrote ''Life and Letters of Rev. Dr. John McClintock'' (1876), and ''Sermons of Bishop Simpson'' (1885).

Works Co-authored or Co-Edited by Rev. George J. Crooks

Books Written or Edited by Rev. George J. Crooks

Contributions to Church and Theology

In 1841 entered the ministry of the

, and became a

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

. In 1848, having returned to the ministry, he was stationed successively at

, Wilmington, New York City, and

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

. Rev. George Crooks was appointed Professor of Historical Theology at

Drew Theological Seminary Drew University is a private university in Madison, New Jersey. Drew has been nicknamed the "University in the Forest" because of its wooded campus. As of fall 2020, more than 2,200 students were pursuing degrees at the university's three scho ...

from 1880 until his death. According to a commemorative volume, he was seen as one of five professors "whose teaching and leadership shaped the early Drew Theological Seminary." Upon the death of Rev. Crooks, the

Bible Society A Bible society is a non-profit organization, usually nondenominational in makeup, devoted to translating, publishing, and distributing the Bible at affordable prices. In recent years they also are increasingly involved in advocating its credibi ...

eulogized,

His rare linguistic attainments, his extensive knowledge of men, his profound interest in all wise efforts for the evangelization of the world, his reverent trust in the oracles of God and his uniform Christian courtesy combined to make him an influential and agreeable member of this Committee.

References

;Attribution *

External links

George Richard Crooks (1822–1897)
at ''Encyclopedia Dickinsonia'' *

General Commission on Archives and History of the United Methodist Church {{DEFAULTSORT:Crooks, George Richard 1822 births 1897 deaths American male writers American Methodist missionaries Methodist missionaries in the United States Dickinson College alumni Dickinson College faculty Drew University faculty Members of the Methodist Episcopal Church