Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-23
REV. DR.. P|TzER
DIES IN VIRGINIA
Pastor Emeritus of Central
Presbyterian Church Served
Congregation SO Years.

Rev. DIR. Alexander White Pitzer,
pastor emeritus of the Central Pres
byterian Church. died yesterday at
his home in Salem, Va.
DIR. Pitzer. who celebrated his ninety
second birthday September IA, 1925,
had been in good health until the past
few months. He organized the Cen
trail Presbyterian Church in May, 1858
and was the active pastor of the
church until April, 1906, when he be-
came pastor emeritus.
He was born September IA, 1884, in
Salem, Va, the son Of Bernard and
Frances l.. PitZer. He studied at
Virginia Collegiate Institute (now
Roanoke College), afterward at Hamp-
den Sidney College, where he gradu-
ated as valedictorian of his class in
1854.
Served in Civil War.
He studied theology one year at
Union Theological Seminary, Virginia,
and two years at Danville, KY, where
he was graduated in 1857; was licensed
by Montgomery Presbytery, Virginia,
September S, 1856; preached in Leaven.
worth, Kans., In 1857; was ordained
to be pastor of the First Church,
manned in this relation until 1861,
when he returned to Virginia and
served as chaplain in the Confederate
army. Subsequently he supplied the
churches at Sparta and Mount Zion
in Georgia, and then preached at Cave
Spring and Liberty, Va, until the END
of 1867, when he began work as an
evangelist in this city and organized
the Central Presbyterian Church, May
81, 1868.
He received the degree Of A. M.
from Hampden-Sidney College in 1857,
degree of D. D. from Arkansas Col
lege in 1876 and degree Of LII. D. from
Howard University in 1908. He
served as professor of Biblical the
ology from 1876 to 1890 in Howard
University, was president of the
Washington City Bible Society from
1873 to 1906 by annual unanimous
reelection and stated clerk of the
Presbytery of Chesapeake from 1872
to 1908. He was president of the
Evangelical Alliance of Washington
City from 1886 to 1905, member OF
the legislative committee of the
American Sabbath Union and trustee
Of Hampden-Sidney College, Virginia,
from 1885 to 1904. He wa; member
of the Toronto Council Of the Presby.
terrain Alliance and member of the
permanent commission of the Western
section.
DR.. Pitzer was a commissioner to
six assemblies of the Presbyterian
Church in the United States South.
ern assembly,. He introduced in the
Atlanta assembly of 1882 the resolu-
ton to establish fraternity with the
Northern Presbyterian Church, and
was a member of the pre-millenarian
conference in New York in 1873, and
aided in preparing the declaration of
principles" adopted by that body,
which was reaffirmed by the Chicago
conference in 1886. He was sent as
the representative of the Washing
ton City Bible Society to world mis-
sionary conference in London in 1888,
and to the centenary of the British
and Foreign Bible Society in 1904.
Dr. Pitzer was the author of many
books and contributed to various
magazines.
The funeral services will be held at
Salem today and will be conducted
by Rev. DR.. James H. Taylor. the
present pastor of the Central Presby-
terrain Church. and Rev. DR.. Leroy
Gresham, pastor of the Presbyterian
Church of Salem. Burial will be in
Salem. r. P. Clarke, an elder in the
Central Presbyterian Church.. accom-
panied DIR. Taylor to Salem for the
funeral. A memorial service for DR..
Pitzer will be held in the Central
Presbyterian Church at a later date.