Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1904-08-03
dew President OF williamson Female College.

IteV. Jcnn ~. Wilson, ID. d., for the
past several years Presiding Elder of the
Cokesbury District of the South Caro-
lima Conference, has been elected Presi-
dent of the WILLIAMSON Female College
to succeed the late DR.. Samuel Lander,
and will accept.
The election was held at the meeting
Of the Trustees at Williamson on Tues
day, but was not made public until DIR.
Wilson had time to decide whether he
would accept and to arrange his affairs
accordingly.
DR.. Wilson is son-in-iaw of the late
DR.. Lander, the founder of the college,
and is thoroughly acquainted with and in
sympathy with that distinguished eduoa-
tors plans and policies. He is probably
the best fitted man for the position that
could have been found, and the college
will be opened in its new quarters in the
fall and will go forward without inter
ruption.
The "Twentieth Century Sketches" of
the South Carolina Conference, pub
lished several years ago, contained the
Willson
John Owens Wilson, eldest son of the
late Dr. John and Mrs. Sarah e. Wilson,
was born January 81, 1s45, at "Cedar
Grove" plantation, st. James (Goose
Creek Parish, Charleston District, now
the neighborhood schools. Kings Noun
tain Military Academy andin the South
Carolina Military Academy, leaving the
latter in his Junior year to enter the Con-
federate army in June, 1862. He served
as q private in Company +, Cadet Ran
gers, Sixth South Carolina Cavalry.
After the war he studied law under the
late Gen. w. w. Harlee, was admitted TO
practice November, 1865, and practiced
lnOSfrnp Mn,
brief period in 1868, when he gave up
his work to go to California, but changed
his purpose at his mothers urgency and
remained, teaching school for q few
months before choosing a new location.
In 1868, under strong religious convic-
tion, he asked and received confirmation
in the Protestant Episcopal church in ST.
Johns, Berkeley Parish. On January
30, 1873, he decided to join the Metho-
dists, and on February 23, 1873, he was
received by the Rev. w. c. Power into
the Methodist Episcopal church, South,
of which church his father had been n
consistent member.
Called to preach, he was licensed to
exhort by the late John w. Kelley, Pre-
siding Elder of Marion District, then to
preach 10y the Marion quarterly confer
ence, and was recommended, and on
December 10, 1878, received into the
South Carolina Conference. His ap-
pointments have been as follows: Oar
lington, years; Camden, 3 years; Green
vile, 3 years; Trinity, Charleston, 4
years; Greenville, years; Florence Dis
trict, | year; Greenville District, years,
and since December 9, 1894, editor of
the Southern Christian Advocate. He
has served in the General Conferences of
1890, 1894 and 1898. Since June, 1895, he
has been member of the Sunday School
Board of the church. In June, 1896,
Wofford College conferred on him the
degree of Doctor of Divinity. From
1887 until November, 1894, he was a
Trustee Of Columbia Female College.
On April 27, 1871, he married Miss
Mary Orianna Richardson, of Marion,
who died January 10, 1878, leaving a
daughter, now Mrs. Mary Bessie Donald
son, wife of Lieutenant II. Q. Donaldson,
Jr.. U. S. Army. On August 81, 1896, he
married Miss Kathleen Mcpherson Lam
der, of Williamson, and with her trav-
eled four months in Europe, Egypt and
the Holy Land.
Dr. Wilson's success as preacher was
phenomenal. Indeed, he was the "house-
going preacher who had a church going
people" In their hours of trouble they
ever knew that their pastors heart beat
in sympathy, with theirs, He never
aspired to be known as an "orator" or as
"modern thinker or as a "critical
preacher" but was ever satisfied to
carry the simple gospel to the people.
He was eminently successful as Presid-
ing Elder, loved by preachers and peo-
pie. The Conference endorsed his wise
and discreet management of the Southern
Christian Advocate by re-clecting him
editor.
DR.. Wilson is a diligent worker. Be-
sides his arduous duties as editor, he has
done excellent work in other depart
ments.. From July, 1898, till Confer
ence, he filed the office of Presiding
Elder of Columbia District without re-
muneration, and allowed the salary to 90
to the family of Rev. J. Walter Dickson,
who died during the year. Upon the
untimely death of Rev. John Owen,
making vacant the pastorate of Johnston
circuit, DR.. Wilson filed the place till
Conference and allowed the salary to 90
to the boreaved family of Mr.. Owen
Anderson Mail, July 81.