BLACK.
BLxVCKBURX.
intrusted to him were conducted with ability and
success. He was a delegate to the national Demo-
cratic conventioii, in 1872; was U.S. commissioner
of pensions, 188o-'89; a representative from Illi-
nois in the 53d congress, 1893-'9.j, and U.S. attor-
ney for the northern district of Illinois. 1895-99.
He received the degi'ee LL.D. from Knox college.
BLACK, William Henry, educator, was born in Centreville, Ind., March 19, 1854; son of the Rev. Felix Grundy and Lydia Katherine (Car- ruthers) Black, and a descendant of the Blacks of northern Ireland. He graduated from Waynes- burg college, Pennsylvania, in 1876, and was a student at the Western theological seminary, Allegany, Pa., 1875-79. He was pastor at Pitts- burg, Pa., 1877-80, and at St. Louis, Mo., 1880- '90, and became pi'esident of the Missouri Valley college, Marshall, Mo., and professor of biblical instruction in 1890. He traveled in Europe, 1884 and 1896; became a member of the National coun- cil of education in 1899. He received the degree D.D. from Cumberland university in 1888. He is the author of " Sermons for the Sabbath School " (1883); "God Our Father" (1989); '-Woman- hood " (1890).
BLACKBURN, Gideon, educator, was born in Augusta county, Va., Aug. 27, 1772. He was licensed to preach by the Abingdon presbytery in 1792; established a church at Marj'sville, Va., and others nearby, and was sent as missionary to the Cherokee Indians in 1803. He became prin- cipal of Harpeth academy, East Tennessee, in 1811; continued to preach, and was pastor at Louisville, Ky., 1823-27. He was president of Centre college, Louisville, Ky., 1827-30, and then removed to Versailles, where he preached and acted as agent of the Kentucky state tem- perance society. In 1833 he went to Illinois and in 1835 began to raise money for Illinois college, a work which resulted in the theological school at Carlinville, 111. In 1805 the College of New Jersey conferred on him the degree of D.D., and Dickinson college gave him those of A.M. and S.T.D. He died in Carlinville, 111.. Aug. 23, 1838.
BLACKBURN, Joseph Clay Styles, senator, was born in Woodford county, Ky., Oct. 1, 1838. He received a preparatory training at Sayres institute, Frankfort, Ky., and after graduating from Centre college, Danville, Ky., in 1857, he studied law in Lexington, Ky., was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Chicago in 1858. He returned to Woodford county, Ky., in 1860, and joining the Confederate army in 1861 served through the war. after which he resumed his practice. In 1871-73 he was a member of the Kentucky legislature; in 1874 was elected a rep- resentative in the 44th congress by the Demo- crats, and was re-elected to the 45th, 46th, 47th and 48th congresses. He was elected in 1885 to
the United States senate, and again in 1891 and
1901. He was a delegate to the National Demo-
cratic convention that met at Chicago, 1896, and
supported the nominations made by the conven-
tion, and in the canvass that followed was one of
the most prominent supporters of the ticket, and
made the campaign tour of the Nortliern states
with Mr. Bryan.
BLACKBURN, Samuel, lawyer, was born in Virginia in 1758. In the house of delegates he originated the ati-duelling law of Virginia, which was the first passed in the country. Among other penalties it prohibited the duellist from holding any office in the state. Bj- his will he manumitted all his slaves and provided for their transportation to Liberia. He died in 1835.
BLACKBURN, William Jasper, editor, was born in Randolph county. Ark., July 24. 1820. He was self-educated, attended the distinct school a short time and Jackson college. Tenn., for one year. He learned the printer's trade, and after working in Louisiana and Arkansas, he settled in Homer, La., where he established Blackburn's Homer's Iliad and conducted it for many years. Though a southerner by birth, he was an ardent anti-slavery man, and his oflSce was repeatedly mobbed during the civil war. His paper was the only Union journal published in the gulf states, and he was the only southern editor to denounce the action of Preston S. Brooks in attacking Charles Sumner. He was a delegate to the state constitutional convention in 1867, a representa- tive in the 40th congress, and a state senator from 1872 to 1876. He returned to his native state in 1877, purchased the Little Bock Bepublican, as- sumed editorial control and in its columns bravely advocated Republican doctrines in a Democratic state. He died in Little Rock, Ark., in 1899.
BLACKBURN, William Haxwell, educator, was born at Carlisle, Ind., Dec. 30, 1828. He was educated at Hanover college and Princeton theological seminary, graduating from the latter in 1853. After holding various pastorates in the Presbyterian church, he was from 1868 to 1881 professor of church history in the McCormick theological seminary of Chicago, resigning in 1881, to accept the pastorate of the Central church of Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1884 he was elected to the presidency of the University of North Dakota, and after successful work in or- ganizing that new institution, he resigned in 1885 to become the first installed president of Pierre university in South Dakota. He, in addition to his duties as president, was professor of mental, moral and political sciences. The institution was largely in debt and this he succeeded in paying off, and establishing the university on a perma- nent and substantial basis. The degree of LL.D. was conferred upon him by Wooster university,
