William True Sleeper (February 9, 1819 - September 24, 1904) was an American Congregationalist clergyman, educator, poet, and hymn-writer.
William Sleeper was born in
Danbury, New Hampshire
Danbury is a town in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,250 at the 2020 census.
History
Danbury was first settled as a part of Alexandria, but mountainous terrain separated it from the rest of the town. In 1 ...
on February 9, 1819 to Johnathan and Mary Sleeper.
He attended the
Phillips Exeter Academy
(not for oneself) la, Finis Origine Pendet (The End Depends Upon the Beginning) gr, Χάριτι Θεοῦ (By the Grace of God)
, location = 20 Main Street
, city = Exeter, New Hampshire
, zipcode ...
for preparatory school in
Exeter, New Hampshire, and then graduated from the
University of Vermont in 1850 and from
Andover Theological Seminary in 1858.
[ Sleeper and his wife Emily both taught at Woodman Sanbornton Academy before his ordination.]State Reform School for Boys
The State Reform School for boys in Westborough Massachusetts was a state institution for the reformation of juvenile offenders from 1848 to 1884. Originally conceived the facility was built to house up to 300 young boys but by 1852 an addition ...
from 1856 to 1860.[ He held a number of positions around Massachusetts and Maine, and was involved in the establishment of three churches in Patten, ]Sherman
Sherman most commonly refers to:
*Sherman (name), a surname and given name (and list of persons with the name)
** William Tecumseh Sherman (1820–1891), American Civil War General
*M4 Sherman, a tank
Sherman may also refer to:
Places United St ...
, and Fort Fairfield, Maine.[ In 1876, he returned to Worcester where he preached for 30 years.][ Sleeper also served as supervisor of schools in ]Aroostook County
Aroostook County ( ; french: Comté d'Aroostook) is a county in the U.S. state of Maine along the Canada–U.S. border. As of the 2020 census, the population was 67,105. Its county seat is Houlton, with offices in Caribou and Fort Kent.
Kn ...
from 1868 to 1871, president of the Aroostook Valley Railroad
The Aroostook Valley Railroad was a railroad that operated between Presque Isle and Caribou, Maine from the early 1900s to 1996. The railroad operated maroon interurban cars with grey roofs on 1200 volt DC power until 1945.
History
Arthur R. Go ...
in 1874, and established and edited the periodicals ''The Voice'' and ''The North Star''.[
Sleeper published a book of poems in 1883, which included two which would later become hymns: "Jesus, I Come" (also known as "Out of My Bondage, Sorrow and Night") and "Ye Must Be Born Again." (also known as "A Ruler Once Came to Jesus by Night"). He published ''Walks and Talks: A Sunday School Book'' in 1860 and ''The Rejected King and Hymns of Jesus: A Devotional Book of Poems'' in 1888.][
Sleeper died on September 24, 1904 in Auburndale, Massachusetts.][
]
References
External links
William T. Sleeper
at Hymnary.org
*
The Reverend William T. Sleeper: From “History of the Washburn Memorial Church”
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sleeper, William True
1819 births
1904 deaths
Phillips Exeter Academy alumni
University of Vermont alumni
Andover Theological Seminary alumni
19th-century American Congregationalist ministers
American chaplains
American Protestant hymnwriters