Davis Wasgatt Clark
Encyclopedia
Davis Wasgatt Clark was an American
Bishop
of the Methodist Episcopal Church
, elected in 1864; the first President of the Freedman's Aid Society
; and the namesake of Clark Atlanta University
, an HBCU.
, Hancock County, Maine
. He was a grandson of Davis Wasgatt, a soldier of the American Revolutionary War
. Influenced by the family altar, at the age of 16 he joined the first Methodist Class formed by the Rev. David Stimson on Mount Desert Island
.
of Connecticut
in 1836.
, Clark joined the Traveling Ministry of the New York
Annual Conference
in 1843. He served as pastor
, educator and editor, including time spent as the editor of the Ladies' Repository, an important M.E.
women's magazine. This appointment was spent in Cincinnati.
to reunite the northern and southern branches of the M.E. Church. He also played an important role in healing the spiritual wounds created by the American Civil War
.
He was the first president of the Freedman's Aid Society
of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Clark College, founded in 1869, was named in his honor. In 1877, the school was chartered as Clark University and its first degree was conferred in 1880. The school was relocated in 1833. In 1988, the school merged with Atlanta University, thus becoming Clark Atlanta University
.
Bishop Clark became one of the most pouplar and best known Methodist leaders during the post-Civil War years.
He died in Cincinnati, Ohio
, May 23, 1871. At the time of his death, he was one of the country's leading religious personalities.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of the Methodist Episcopal Church
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of...
, elected in 1864; the first President of the Freedman's Aid Society
Freedman's Aid Society
The Freedmen’s Aid Society was founded in 1861 during the American Civil War by the American Missionary Association , a group supported chiefly by the Congregational, Presbyterian and Methodist churches in the North. It organized a supply of teachers from the North and provided housing for them,...
; and the namesake of Clark Atlanta University
Clark Atlanta University
Clark Atlanta University is a private, historically black university in Atlanta, Georgia. It was formed in 1988 with the consolidation of Clark College and Atlanta University...
, an HBCU.
Birth and Rebirth
Clark was born on Mount Desert IslandMount Desert Island
Mount Desert Island , in Hancock County, Maine, is the largest island off the coast of Maine. With an area of it is the 6th largest island in the contiguous United States. Though it is often claimed to be the third largest island on the eastern seaboard of the United States, it is actually second...
, Hancock County, Maine
Hancock County, Maine
Hancock County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of 2010, the population was 54,418. Its county seat is Ellsworth. It was incorporated on June 25, 1789...
. He was a grandson of Davis Wasgatt, a soldier of the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. Influenced by the family altar, at the age of 16 he joined the first Methodist Class formed by the Rev. David Stimson on Mount Desert Island
Mount Desert Island
Mount Desert Island , in Hancock County, Maine, is the largest island off the coast of Maine. With an area of it is the 6th largest island in the contiguous United States. Though it is often claimed to be the third largest island on the eastern seaboard of the United States, it is actually second...
.
Education
Clark graduated from Kents Hill School in 1833. He then graduated from Wesleyan UniversityWesleyan University
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
of Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
in 1836.
Ordained ministry
After some years of teaching at Amenia Seminary in New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Clark joined the Traveling Ministry of the New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
Annual Conference
Annual Conference
An Annual Conference in the United Methodist Church is a regional body that governs much of the life of the "Connectional Church." Annual conferences are composed primarily of the clergy members and a lay member or members from each charge . Each conference is a geographical division...
in 1843. He served as pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
, educator and editor, including time spent as the editor of the Ladies' Repository, an important M.E.
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of...
women's magazine. This appointment was spent in Cincinnati.
Episcopal ministry
Clark was elected a bishop in 1864. In 1866 he was called upon to serve as a mediatorMediation
Mediation, as used in law, is a form of alternative dispute resolution , a way of resolving disputes between two or more parties. A third party, the mediator, assists the parties to negotiate their own settlement...
to reunite the northern and southern branches of the M.E. Church. He also played an important role in healing the spiritual wounds created by the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
He was the first president of the Freedman's Aid Society
Freedman's Aid Society
The Freedmen’s Aid Society was founded in 1861 during the American Civil War by the American Missionary Association , a group supported chiefly by the Congregational, Presbyterian and Methodist churches in the North. It organized a supply of teachers from the North and provided housing for them,...
of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Clark College, founded in 1869, was named in his honor. In 1877, the school was chartered as Clark University and its first degree was conferred in 1880. The school was relocated in 1833. In 1988, the school merged with Atlanta University, thus becoming Clark Atlanta University
Clark Atlanta University
Clark Atlanta University is a private, historically black university in Atlanta, Georgia. It was formed in 1988 with the consolidation of Clark College and Atlanta University...
.
Bishop Clark became one of the most pouplar and best known Methodist leaders during the post-Civil War years.
He died in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, May 23, 1871. At the time of his death, he was one of the country's leading religious personalities.
Books
- Elements of Algebra: Embracing Also the Theory and Application of Logarithms. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1846.
- Man All Immortal; or, The Nature and Destination of Man as Taught by Reason and Revelation. Cincinnati: Poe & Hitchcock, 1866.
- Mental Discipline: With Reference to the Acquisition and Communication of Knowledge. New York: Lane & Tippett, 1847.
- Sermons for the College. Akers, 1851.
-
-
- Note: Many other works which were edited by Rev. Clark are currently available at Google Books.
-
See also
- Clark Atlanta UniversityClark Atlanta UniversityClark Atlanta University is a private, historically black university in Atlanta, Georgia. It was formed in 1988 with the consolidation of Clark College and Atlanta University...
- List of Bishops of the United Methodist Church