History of Nottingham, (Baltimore County) Maryland United States of America

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John Ewing, educator, was born in Nottingham, Md., June 22, 1732; son of Irish Presbyterians whose ancestors came from the north of Ireland and settled in Pennsylvania. He was graduated at the College of New Jersey, A.B., 1754, A.M., 1757, and served there as tutor, 1754-58. He was licensed to preach by the presbytery of New Castle; was instructor of ethics in the College of Philadelphia, 1758-62, took charge of the First Presbyterian church, Philadelphia, in 1759, and was professor of natural philosophy in the University of the State of Pennsylvania, 1762-1802. He went to England in 1773 to solicit support for the Newark academy, Del., and succeeded in accomplishing his purpose. On his return in 1775 he resumed his pastoral relation with the First church and in 1780 was elected to succeed Dr. Smith as provost of the University of the State of Pennsylvania. When the name was changed to the University of Pennsylvania in 1791 he was continued in office, holding it up to the time of his death. He assisted Rittenhouse in his surveys of state boundaries, and was an expert mathematician and scientist. He was vice-president of the American philosophical society, having been a member from 1768. He received from the College of Pennsylvania the degree of A.M. in 1759, and from the University of Edinburgh that of D.D. in 1773. He contributed to the Transactions of the American philosophical society an "Account of the Transit of Venus over the Sun." His lectures and a biography by the Rev. R. Patterson were published in two volumes in 1809, and his sermons with memoir in 1812. He died in Philadelphia, Pa., Sept. 8, 1802.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Nottingham, (Baltimore County) Maryland

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