History of Clinton Corners, (Dutchess County) New York United States of America

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Biographies:

Biographical Sketch of William Radcliffe De witt

William Radcliffe De witt, clergyman and librarian, was born in Clinton, Dutchess county, N.Y., Feb. 25, 1792; son of John and Katherine (Van Vliet) DeWitt of Newburgh, N.Y., and a descendant of Tjerck Claase DeWitt, one of the early Dutch settlers of Ulster county, N.Y. He was brought up in his father's store in Salem. N.Y., as a merchant and entered Union college in the class of 1816, but left college to volunteer as a soldier in the war of 1812, taking part in the expedition of Commodore McDonough on Lake Champlain. After the close of the war he continued his theological studies, begun at Salem, N.Y., under Dr. Proudfit, in New York under Dr. Mason. He received his A.B. degree from Union in 1816, and was ordained a Presbyterian minister in 1818. He was pastor of the church in Harrisburg, Pa., 1818-67. He was state librarian of Pennsylvania, 1852-67, and a promoter of the public school system of the state. He was married to Mary, daughter of William and Eleanor (Maclay) Wallace. He received the degree of D.D. from Union in 1819 and from the University of Pennsylvania in 1838. He died in Harrisburg, Pa., Dec. 23, 1867.

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