Andrew Webster Archibald

Andrew Webster Archibald (April 10, 1851 – November 15, 1926) was an American pastor and writer. He and his family left a legacy of academic and athletic high scholarship prizes at Dartmouth College, Yale College, Yale Divinity School, Grinnell College, Pomona College and Union College.
==Early life and education==
Andrew W. Archibald was born in New Kingston, New York in 1851. His father was Robert M. Archibald (1808-1884) who was a farmer and was the son of James Archibald (1778-1861) and Isabel (Atkin) Archibald (1776-1861). His mother was Elizabeth (Hamilton) Archibald (1812-1890), who was the daughter of Thomas Hamilton. Both paternal and maternal grandparents were from Scotland and had settled in Bovina, New York. Andrew Archibald prepared for college at Roxbury and Andes (Delaware County, New York) academies. In 1872, he earned his B.A. from Union College where he was class salutatorian and received the Horatio G. Warner Prize for general high stand, the Clark Prize for graduating at the head of this class, and the Blatchford Prize for oratory at Commencement. He was a member of Alpha Delta Phi and Phi Beta Kappa. He taught at Pulaski (New York) Academy (1872-1873). Archibald earned his B.D. from Yale Divinity School (1873-1876) and was ordained to the Congregational ministry August 24, 1876 at Nevinville, Iowa. 
==Pastoral responsibilities and study==
* 1876-1877. In Nevinville and Fontanelle, Iowa
* 1877-1880. In Stuart, Iowa
* 1880-1887. First Church in Ottumwa, Iowa
* 1887-1888. Studied at Andover Theological Seminary, assisted in organizing the Plymouth Church in Ottumwa, Iowa and churches in Cliftondale and Waban, Massachusetts
* 1888-1892. Edwards Church in Davenport, Iowa
* 1890-1891. President of Iowa State Home Missionary Society
* 1891. Honorary D.D. from Union
* 1892-1897. In Hyde Park, Massachusetts
* 1897-1905. Porter Church in Brockton, Massachusetts
* 1905-1907. In Wallingford and Milford, Connecticut
* 1907-1908. First Church in New Britain, Connecticut
* 1909-1910. First Church in Springfield, Massachusetts
* 1912-1913. Pilgrim and Second churches in Dorchester, Massachusetts
* 1913-1915. Pilgrim Church in Los Angeles, California
==Bibliography==
* The Bible Verified (1890), which was later translated into Spanish and Japanese
* The Trend of the Centuries (1901)
* The Easter Hope (1909). This was written as a memorial to his son Kenneth, who died in 1908.
* Biblical Nature Studies (1915)
* The Modern Man Facing the Old Problems (1916)
* A Cruise to the Orient (1921)
* Out of Joint with the Moral Order (1922)
==Family ==
Andrew Archibald married Julia Agnes Warren in New Haven, Connecticut on May 18, 1876. Julia Warren was born on April 23, 1851 and was the daughter of Charles Austin and Emeline (Curtis) Warren. The Warrens were lifelong and prominent residents of the New Haven business community. Andrew and Julia raised their three children (Warren, Kenneth, and Cecil) in Iowa and Massachusetts. He enjoyed horseback riding and travel. Andrew resigned from his position at Porter Church on January 29, 1905 to travel to the Orient and Europe for six months with his family. Andrew and Julia returned later that year to live in New Haven. In 1913, Andrew and Julia moved to southern California. Andrew retired from active ministry in 1915. The Archibalds spent summers in Mount Desert, Maine and the rest of year in Pasadena and Los Angeles, California. Julia died of pneumonia in Pasadena, California on March 5, 1921. Andrew married Rena Bennett Gurley on January 22, 1924 in Pasadena, California. Rena Gurley (1885-1969) spent her early life in Brockton, Massachusetts. She was the daughter of Earl and Julia (Barrows) Bennett. In her youth, she was received as a member of the Porter Church by Andrew Archibald, who was the pastor at that time in Brockton. Rena's first husband, J. Worth Gurley, was a college educated chemist in government war service and had died from influenza. She was a junior high school teacher in Springfield, Massachusetts. Andrew and Rena did not have any children. 
==High Scholarship Prizes==
Andrew Archibald and his family established a lasting legacy of high scholarship prizes at Dartmouth, Yale, Grinnell, Pomona, and Union. Awarding these prizes annually at graduation continues today. 
===Dartmouth College===
In 1906, Kenneth (B.A. Dartmouth, 1902) and Cecil Archibald (B.A. Dartmouth, 1905) established, in memory of their aunt, the Mina H. Warren Scholarship Prize, "which is presented annually to that member of the graduating class, four years in attendance at Dartmouth, who ranks highest in scholarship." 
Kenneth was active in athletics while at Dartmouth and earned his "D" letter in the pole vault. He mysteriously disappeared on June 20, 1908 while climbing Mount Rixford in the High Sierras of California. The speculation was that he died in an avalanche. His mother, Julia Archibald provided funds for the Kenneth Archibald Prize to be "awarded to that member of the Dartmouth graduating class, who has been four years in attendance, who in the judgment of the Athletic Council has been the best all-around athlete, regard also being had to moral worth and high standing in scholarship." This prize is Dartmouth's most prestigious athletic award. The first recipient was Francis A. Brady (football, basketball, baseball) in 1910. Other recipients include Lawrence Whitney, Bob MacLeod, David Shula, Jay Fiedler|Jay Fiedler, Robert Kempainen, Lee Stempniak, Abbey D'Agostino, Kristin King and Sarah Parsons. 
===Yale College and Divinity School===
When Julia (Warren) Archibald died in 1921, her will bequeathed $10,000 to Yale University in memory of her parents, Charles and Emeline Warren. The Warren Memorial High Scholarship Prize originally was "to be awarded to that member of the graduating class taking the A.B. course, ranking highest in scholarship." The estate had insufficient funds and Andrew and his children provided $7297.79 to carry out her wishes and the Warren Memorial High Scholarship prize was established on January 27, 1922. The first recipient was Lawrence Ridge Guild in 1922. George Wilson Pierson, Edward Tenenbaum, Alfred Van Sinderen, James English Jr, Thomas Enders, Jan Deutsch, Victor Lieberman, Samuel Savage, Albert Lauber, Edward DuMont and Daniel Sodickson have also received this award. Today, this prize is "awarded to the graduating senior majoring in the humanities who ranks highest in scholarship." 
In 1922, Andrew Archibald gave $1,500 to establish the Julia A. Archibald High Scholarship Prize "to be awarded each year to that member of the graduating class three years in attendance in the Yale Divinity School and ranking highest in scholarship, the Divinity Faculty being the judges."
===Pomona College===
Established at the bequest of Andrew Archibald for his second wife, The Rena Gurley Archibald High Scholarship Prize is "awarded to the member of the graduating class who ranks highest in scholarship" at Pomona College.
===Union College===
At Union College, where Archibald earned his B.A. in 1872, the Andrew W. Archibald Prize is given annually "to the senior earning a Bachelor of Arts degree with the highest scholastic standing." 
==Death ==
Andrew Webster Archibald was injured in an automobile accident. He died from brain hemorrhage complications about one year later in Los Angeles on November 15, 1926. He is buried in Fair Haven Union Cemetery in New Haven. 
Category:1851 births
Category:People from Kingston, New York
Category:American people
Category:Pastors
Category:Writers
Category:1926 deaths