History of Reading, (Berks County) Pennsylvania United States of America

Our database does not include an historic photo for Reading, (Berks County) Pennsylvania, do you have one you would like to contribute? Contact Us!

Biographies:

Henry Darling, educator, was born in Reading, Pa., Dec. 27, 1823; son of the Hon. William and Margaretta Vaughan (Smith) Darling. He was graduated at Amherst in 1842; studied theology at Union theological seminary, 1842-43; at Auburn theological seminary, 1843-45; was ordained by the presbytery of Columbia Dec. 30, 1847; was pastor at Hudson, N.Y., 1846-53; at Clinton street church, Philadelphia, Pa., 1853-61; was an invalid in Philadelphia, 1861-64; had charge of the 4th Presbyterian church in Albany, N.Y., 1864-81; and was president of Hamilton college, Clinton, N.Y., 1881-91. He was permanent clerk of the Presbyterian general assembly, 1854-63, and moderator of the General assembly, 1881. He received from Amherst the degree of M.A. in 1852; from Union that of D.D. in 1860, and from both Hamilton and Lafayette that of LL.D. in 1881. His published works include: The Closer Walk (1862); Slavery and the War (1863); Difficulties of Revelation (1864); Conformity to the World (1873); Doing Nothing ? but Receiving (1875); and Preaching and Modern Skepticism (1881). See memorial of his life and work published byson, Richard W. Darling. He died at Hamilton college, Clinton, N.Y., April 20, 1891.

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

Henry Dickinson Green, representative, was born in Reading, Pa., May 3, 1857; son of Albert G. and Rebecca (Dickinson) Green; grandson of John and Catharine (Bright) Green and of William Penn and Elizabeth (Miller) Dickinson; and a descendant of William Green, a Quaker, who emigrated from Ireland in 1760 and settled in Maxatawny township, Pa.; and of Michael Bright, born in Schreissheim, Germany, emigrated to America in 1726 and settled in Germantown, Pa., in 1726. Henry was educated in the public schools of Reading and at the Reading high school and was graduated from Yale in 1877. He was admitted to the bar. Nov. 10, 1879, and practised in Pennsylvania. He was a member of the state legislature. 1883-87, and was state senator, 1889-97. He was commissioned a captain of the 9th Pennsylvania volunteer infantry, June 25, 1898, and served throughout the Spanish-American war. He was elected a representative in the 56th congress, November, 1899, to fill a vacancy caused by the death of Daniel Ermentrout.

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

E. Benjamin Bierman, educator, was born near Reading, Pa., Dec. 1, 1839, son of Benjamin and Anna (Bertram) Bierman. He was educated in the public schools of his native county, and in the Reading classical academy, where he was prepared for the junior class in college. During the last year of his connection with the academy, he was an associate instructor. In 1864 he was elected pricipal of the public high school of Hamburg, Pa., which position he held for three successive years. In 1867 he was given the degree of M.A. by Lafayette college, and the same year the trustees of Lebanon Valley college, Annville, Pa., unanimously called him to the chair of English language and literature. This professorship he held for five years, when, on the re-organization of the faculty, he was transferred to the department of mathematics and astronomy, which place he filled during the following eight years. In 1880 he severed his connection with the college, and removed to Philadelphia for the purpose of attending lectures in its professional schools and the University of Pennsylvania, and during a residence of nearly ten years he attended upwards of nearly twenty different courses in philosophy, history, literature, medicine, political economy, ethics, etc. In 1890, he was elected president of Lebanon Valley college. In 1892, Ursinus college conferred upon him the degree of Ph.D.

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

George May Keim, representative, was born in Reading, Pa., April 23, 1805. He received a liberal education, studied law, became a banker, and gave his leisure time to the investigation of the science of mineralogy. He was a delegate to the constitutional convention of 1837-38 and in February, 1838, was elected a representative in the 25th congress as successor to Henry A. Muhlenberg, who resigned to accept the mission to Austria then first created. He was reelected to the 26th and 27th congresses, serving until March 3, 1843. He was major-general of his militia district, and U.S. marshal for the eastern district of Pennsylvania, 1841-49. He died at Reading, Pa., in 1862.

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