Evening star., 1934-07-24
BISHOP HAMILTON
EXPIRES IN BOSTON
Dean of Methodist Church.
men Was American Uni
verSity Official.

Bishop John william Hamilton.
dean of the Board Of Bishops of the
Methodist Episcopal Church and
chancellor emeritus of American Uni
versity, died this morning in Bos-
ton hospital after a brief illness. He
was 80 years old.
The veteran churchman. whose
courtly manner and understanding
won thousands of friends throughout
the country had lived in Washing
ton since his appointment in 1916 as
chancellor of American University
succeeding his brother, the late Bishop
Franklin Hamilton.
Bishop Hamilton was stricken sew
eral days ago at his Summer home,
Pilgrim View. in Marshheld. Mass.
according to the Associated Press. He
was removed to the Boston hospital
where he died.
Native of Virginia.
Bishop Hamilton. native of Wes-
ton, Va. was educated at Mount
Union College, Alliance, Ohio, and at
Wesleyan University in Connecticut.
He was licensed to preach in the
Methodist Episcopal Church in 1855
and became one of the earliest cham
pions of the rights Of the newly freed
slaves.
The bishop held pastorates in New
port. Ohio; in Maplewood, Mass, and
in Somerville and Boston. He was
secretary of the Freed
mems Aid and the Southern Educa-
tional Society, and received his ap-
pointment as bishop in 1900.
He was resident bishop of the Mas
sachusetts Diocese on his retirement in
1916 from active church work. At
that time he came here to take the
university post.
In 1922 he was retired as chancellor,
being succeeded by DR.. Lucius C..
Clark, and was appointed chancellor
emeritus. He also served on the uni
versity's board Of trustees.
Trustee of Boston.
Bishop Hamilton was the oldest liv-
Ing trustee of Boston University, and
a member of the first graduating class
Of that institution.
The churchman was lifelong
friend Of Bishop William F. Mcdowell
of Washington. The latter was deeply
grieved to learn of Bishop Hamilton's
death.
No man in the church has wider
acquaintance or more friends" Bishop
Mcdowell said. only recently Bishop
Hamilton and myself spent an evening
at the home of a cabinet officer here.
Bishop Hamilton was moved to recall
some of the experiences of his long and
fruitful life.
He held his audience Of high Gov
ernment officials spellbound while he
related stories OF the great and near
great from a memory as clear as 1t was
in the days of his youth. The church
and the country as a whole mas SUI
fered a great loss in the death OF
Bishop Hamilton"
Two Children Survive.
Bishop Hamilton, who made his
home for years at Stoneleigh Court,
left Washington only few weeks ago
to spend the Summer in Massachusetts,.
He is survived by his daughter, Mrs.
Helene Hamilton Stafford of Seattle,
Wash, and a son, Dr. Gordon B. Ham
ilton of San Francisco.
The bishop was the author OF biog-
raphies and books on religious sub
jects. He served as chairman OF a
committee of American Methodists
organized to present Lincoln College,
oxford, England. with memorial to
John Wesley on the 200th anniversary
of the latter's election as a fellow Of
the college.
AS late as 1881, Bishop Hamilton
was the conveyor of the Sixth World
Conference of Methodists at At
lanta, Ga.
Funeral arrangements have not been
completed, but Bishop Hamilton's
daughter said in Boston that services
would be held in St. Marks, at Brook
line, Mass.