David Schley Schaff (17 October 1852, in

Mercersburg, Pennsylvania Mercersburg is a borough in Franklin County, located near the southern border of Pennsylvania, United States. The borough is southwest of Harrisburg, the state capital. Due to its location in a rural area, it had a relatively large percentage ...

– 2 March 1941, in

Winter Park, Florida Winter Park is a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. The population was 30,183 according to the 2022 census population estimate. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. Winter Park was f ...

) was a United States

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

clergyman, educator and pioneer of American football.

Biography

He was the son of theologian and historian

Philip Schaff Philip Schaff (January 1, 1819 – October 20, 1893) was a Swiss-born, German-educated Protestant theologian and ecclesiastical historian, who spent most of his adult life living and teaching in the United States. Biography Schaff was born ...

. He prepared for college at

Phillips Academy, Andover ("Not for Self") la, Finis Origine Pendet ("The End Depends Upon the Beginning") Youth From Every Quarter Knowledge and Goodness , address = 180 Main Street , city = Andover , state = Ma ...

, the gymnasium at Kornthal, Germany, and at the Rugby School in England. Schaff graduated from

Yale Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wor ...

in 1873 (A.B.) and from Union Theological Seminary in 1876. In 1877, he was ordained in the Presbyterian ministry. He served as a pastor in

Hastings, Nebraska Hastings is a city and the county seat of Adams County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 25,152 at the 2020 census. It is known as the town where Kool-Aid was invented by Edwin Perkins in 1927, and celebrates that event with the Ko ...

from 1877-1881. He then led a congregation in Kansas City, Missouri from 1881 to 1889. After traveling in the Holy Land, Schaff was called to Jacksonville, Illinois where he was a pastor from 1890 to 1897. He then became Professor of Church History at

Lane Theological Seminary Lane Seminary, sometimes called Cincinnati Lane Seminary, and later renamed Lane Theological Seminary, was a Presbyterian theological college that operated from 1829 to 1932 in Walnut Hills, Ohio, today a neighborhood in Cincinnati. Its campus ...

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wi ...

until 1903. Schaff then taught church history at Western Theological Seminary, an antecedent of

Pittsburgh Theological Seminary Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (PTS) is a Presbyterian graduate seminary in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1794, it houses one of the largest theological libraries in the tri-state area. History Pittsburgh Theological Seminary was formed ...

, until 1927. Pittsburgh Theological Seminary named an annual lecture after Schaff for his service to the seminary. In 1927, Schaff began a term as Lecturer in American Church History at Union Theological Seminary. In 1910, Schaff earned a Ph.D. from the

University of Geneva The University of Geneva (French: ''Université de Genève'') is a public research university located in Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded in 1559 by John Calvin as a theological seminary. It remained focused on theology until the 17th centur ...

in Switzerland. He was a delegate to the Pan-Presbyterian Council at

Aberdeen, Scotland Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), an ...

in 1913. Schaff wrote extensively in the area of church history and co-edited the Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia. He completed the unfinished work of his father, Philip, who had begun the History of the Christian Church before his death. The young Schaff also wrote two books on the life of

John Hus Jan Hus (; ; 1370 – 6 July 1415), sometimes anglicized as John Hus or John Huss, and referred to in historical texts as ''Iohannes Hus'' or ''Johannes Huss'', was a Czech theologian and philosopher who became a Church reformer and the inspi ...

. David Schley Schaff played an early role in the introduction of and development of football in the United States. A graduate of the Rugby School in England, he was familiar with the game of football. In 1872, while a student at Yale, he helped organize and served as the President of the Yale Football Association and was the Captain of Yale's first intercollegiate football team, though he was unable to play in their first game because of injury.

Works

Author

* ''Commentary on the Book of

Acts The Acts of the Apostles ( grc-koi, Πράξεις Ἀποστόλων, ''Práxeis Apostólōn''; la, Actūs Apostolōrum) is the fifth book of the New Testament; it tells of the founding of the Christian Church and the spread of its message ...

'' (1882) * ''Life of Philip Schaff'' (New York, 1897) * ''

John Huss Jan Hus (; ; 1370 – 6 July 1415), sometimes anglicized as John Hus or John Huss, and referred to in historical texts as ''Iohannes Hus'' or ''Johannes Huss'', was a Czech theologian and philosopher who became a Church reformer and the insp ...

'' (1915)

Editor

* ''Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia'' (4 vols., 1883) * ''History of the Christian Church'' (Vols. I-II, 1907–10)

Translator

* John Huss, ''The Church'' (1915)

Notes

References

* * * This source puts him at Western Theological Seminary beginning in 1903. {{DEFAULTSORT:Schaff, David Schley 1852 births 1941 deaths American Presbyterian ministers Yale Bulldogs football players American people of German descent People from Mercersburg, Pennsylvania Players of American football from Pennsylvania