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John Price Durbin (October 10, 1800 - October 18, 1876) was an American
In 1829, while teaching at Augusta College, his colleagues nominated him as Chaplain of the Senate. His nomination ended in a tie in the Senate, and Vice-President John C. Calhoun voted for another chaplain who was from the church his mother attended. Durbin was reconsidered as Chaplain of the Senate in 1831 and this time won the vote. He had not solicited the position and had been offered a position as professor of natural science at
''Observations in Europe, Principally in France and Great Britain''
Harper & Brothers, New York, 1844
''Observations in the East: Chiefly in Egypt, Palestine, Syria, and Asia Minor''
Harper & Brothers, New York, 1845
Dickinson College Archives & Special Collections
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Durbin, John Price 1800 births 1876 deaths 19th-century American clergy 19th-century American male writers 19th-century American newspaper editors American cabinetmakers American Methodist clergy Burials at Laurel Hill Cemetery (Philadelphia) Chaplains of the United States Senate Educators from Kentucky Miami University alumni People from Paris, Kentucky Presidents of Dickinson College University of Cincinnati alumni Wesleyan University faculty
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 ...
clergyman and educator who served as Chaplain of the United States Senate
The chaplain of the United States Senate opens each session of the United States Senate with a prayer, and provides and coordinates religious programs and pastoral care support for senators, their staffs, and their families. The chaplain is appoi ...
from 1831 to 1832 and president of Dickinson College from 1833 to 1844.
Early life
Durbin was born on October 10, 1800, inParis, Kentucky
Paris is a home rule-class city in Bourbon County, Kentucky. It lies northeast of Lexington on the Stoner Fork of the Licking River. Paris is the seat of its county and forms part of the Lexington–Fayette Metropolitan Statistical Area. As ...
, to Elizabeth "Betsy" Nunn and Hozier Durbin; he was the oldest of their five sons. While he was still young, his father died and he went to work for a cabinetmaker. He continued in this trade until his religious conversion at age 18. Durbin studied Latin, Greek and English grammar with tutors.
Career
Licensed to preach by the Methodist church, Durbin went to Ohio in 1819 in order to begin his ministry. His first church was in Hamilton, Ohio (1821); he entered classes atMiami University
Miami University (informally Miami of Ohio or simply Miami) is a public research university in Oxford, Ohio. The university was founded in 1809, making it the second-oldest university in Ohio (behind Ohio University, founded in 1804) and the ...
while serving there. After another relocation, Durbin continued his college education at Cincinnati College
The University of Cincinnati (UC or Cincinnati) is a public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1819 as Cincinnati College, it is the oldest institution of higher education in Cincinnati and has an annual enrollment of over 44,00 ...
, from which he earned a bachelor's degree and a Master of Arts degree (1825). He was appointed professor of languages at Augusta College in Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...
.
In 1829, while teaching at Augusta College, his colleagues nominated him as Chaplain of the Senate. His nomination ended in a tie in the Senate, and Vice-President John C. Calhoun voted for another chaplain who was from the church his mother attended. Durbin was reconsidered as Chaplain of the Senate in 1831 and this time won the vote. He had not solicited the position and had been offered a position as professor of natural science at Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University ( ) is a private liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut. Founded in 1831 as a men's college under the auspices of the Methodist Episcopal Church and with the support of prominent residents of Middletown, the col ...
in Middletown, Connecticut, but declined it so as to accept the position of Chaplain of the Senate.''The Cyclopaedia of American Biography'', Volume 2, by John Howard Brown, p. 557 Thereafter, he was editor of the ''Christian Advocate
The ''Christian Advocate'' was a weekly newspaper published in New York City by the Methodist Episcopal Church. It began publication in 1826 and by the mid-1830s had become the largest circulating weekly in the United States, with more than 30 ...
'' (1832). In 1833, Dickinson College became part of the Baltimore Conference of the Methodist Church; Durbin was called to be the new president, serving until 1844.
Following retirement from the college, Durbin served Union Methodist Church in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
. In 1850 he became secretary of the Missionary Society, serving until 1872, when ill health led to his retirement. His several tours of Europe and the Middle East led to well-received books which he authored.
Durbin died in New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
on October 18, 1876. He was interred in Laurel Hill Cemetery
Laurel Hill Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery in the East Falls neighborhood of Philadelphia. Founded in 1836, it was the second major rural cemetery in the United States after Mount Auburn Cemetery in Boston, Massachusetts.
The cemetery is ...
, Philadelphia.
Personal life
Durbin married Frances Budd Cook ofPhiladelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
on September 6, 1827, in Pennsylvania. His children with Frances Cook were Lucretia, Augusta, Margaret, Alexander Cook, John Price and William. Following Frances' death he married her sister Margaret Cook in 1839.1850 and 1870 censuses; Will of Margaret C. Durbin: New York Wills, Vol 0228-0229, 1874-1875
Bibliography
''Observations in Europe, Principally in France and Great Britain''
Harper & Brothers, New York, 1844
''Observations in the East: Chiefly in Egypt, Palestine, Syria, and Asia Minor''
Harper & Brothers, New York, 1845
Citations
Sources
* * *External links
Dickinson College Archives & Special Collections
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Durbin, John Price 1800 births 1876 deaths 19th-century American clergy 19th-century American male writers 19th-century American newspaper editors American cabinetmakers American Methodist clergy Burials at Laurel Hill Cemetery (Philadelphia) Chaplains of the United States Senate Educators from Kentucky Miami University alumni People from Paris, Kentucky Presidents of Dickinson College University of Cincinnati alumni Wesleyan University faculty