History of Ovid, (Seneca County) New York United States of America

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Biographies:

Theodore Sandford Doolittle, educator, was born at Ovid, N.Y., Nov. 30, 1834; a descendant in the sixth generation from Abraham Doolittle, of Kidderminster, England, one of the founders of Wallingford, Conn., in 1640. He studied at Ovid academy, and was graduated from Rutgers college in 1859, with salutatorian honors. He was graduated from the theological seminary of the Reformed Dutch church, New Brunswick, N.J., in 1862 and became pastor at Flatlands, L.I. He was shortly afterward married to a daughter of the Rev. Benjamin Bassler of Farmerville, N.Y. In 1864 he resigned his pastorate to accept the new collegiate church professorship of rhetoric, logic and mental philosophy in Rutgers college, teaching also all the classes in elocution. In 1878 be became associate editor of the Christian at Work. He appeared frequently on the lecture platform, his favorite subjects being art and architecture. In 1890 he was chosen vice-president of Rutgers college, to succeed George H. Cook, LL.D., and from September, 1890, to February, 1891, was president, ad interim. He received from Wesleyan the degree of D.D. in 1872, and from Union that of LL. D. in 1891. Besides many contributions to periodicals he wrote: History of Rutgers College (1879); and A Syllabus of the History and ?sthetics of Architecture (1892). He died in New Brunswick, N.J., April 18, 1893.

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

Thomas Raynesford Lounsbury, teacher, was born in Ovid, N.Y., Jan. 1, 1838; son of the Rev. Thomas Lounsbury, D.D. (1789-1867), a graduate of Union, 1817, and Princeton Theological seminary, 1818; pastor at Ovid, N.Y., 1823-49, and later agent for the American Bible society. Thomas R. Lounsbury was graduated from Yale in 1859, and was engaged editorially on Appleton's "American Cyclop?dia," 1859-62. He was a volunteer officer in the civil war, 1862-65; an instructor in English at Yale, 1870-71; professor of English there from 1871, and librarian of the Sheffield Scientific school from 1873. He received the degree of A.M. from Yale in 1877; that of LL.D. from Yale in 1892 and from Harvard in 1893; that of L.H.D. from Lafayette in 1895, and that of Litt.D. from Princeton in 1896. He edited Chaucer's "Parliament of Foules" (1877), and is the author of: History of the English Language (1879); Biography of James Fenimore Cooper (1883); Studies in Chaucer (3 vols., 1891).

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

John Livingston Nevius, missionary, was born in Ovid, N.Y., March 4, 1829; son of Benjamin Hageman and Mary (Denton) Nevius; grandson of John P. and Gertrude (Hageman) Nevius, and a descendant of Johannes Nevius, the immigrant. He was a student at Ovid academy, 1838-45; was graduated at Union college in 1848; was principal of Ovid academy, 1849-50, and engaged in teaching school in Columbus, Ga., 1850. He was graduated at Princeton theological seminary in 1853; was ordained by the presbytery of New Brunswick, May 4, 1853, and engaged in missionary work. He was a missionary of the Presbyterian board at Ningpo, China, 1853-59; at Hang Chau, 1859-60; spent nine months in Japan, 1860, and was at Tung-Chau and Chefoo in Shantung, 1861-93. He is credited with having been the first to introduced American fruits in China, and the Chinese government presented him with testimonials for his aid in distributing relief to the natives in the famines of 1877 and 1889. He visited England and the United States, 1864-68, and made a second visit to the United States in 1881-82, and a third in 1890-92. He was a member of the committee for revising the Scriptures in Mandarin about 1892. He was married, June 5, 1853, to Helen S. Coan, daughter of Dr. Coan of Seneca county, N.Y. She accompanied him to China, Sept. 19, 1853, reaching Shanghai, March 12, 1854, aided him in his missionary work and is the author of: A Catechism of Christian Doctrine, in Chinese (1856); Our Life in China (1857), and The Life of John Livingston Nevius (1895). Dr. Nevius received the degree of D.D. from Union in 1869. He published in English: China and the Chinese (1868); San Poh, or North of the Hills; Methods of Mission Work (1886), and Demon Possessions (1892); and in Chinese, classic Chinese and the Ningpo dialect: Guide to Heaven (1857); The Two Lights; Errors of Ancestral Worship; Guide to Evangelists; Systematic Theology (3 vols.); explanation of the True Doctrine; Commentary on the Acts; Mark's Gospel with Notes; Manual for Inquirers, Evangelists and Cut-Stations; Questions on Matthew's Gospel on the Acts, with Commentary; Questions on the Romans with Analysis for Bible and Theological Classes; Defence of Protestantism against Romanism (1890), and with other writers The Westminster Standards and a Mandarin Hymn-Book. He died at Temple Hill, Chefoo, Shantung, China, Oct. 19, 1893.

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