George Thacher
George Thacher [1]
a Congregational minister, was born in Hartford, Conn., July 25,1817. His early education was received at Hopkins Grammar-school, Hartford. He was graduated from Yale College in 1840, and in the same year entered Yale Theological Seminary, where, after a full three years course of study, he was regularly graduated in 1843. His first pastorate was at Derby, Conn., where he went in June, 1843; on Jan. 4, 1844, he was ordained, preaching there until Oct. 10, 1848, when he was dismissed. He next received and accepted a call to Nantucket, Mass., where he was installed Nov. 14, 1848, and remained until May 14,1850, when he was dismissed to the pastorate of the Allen Street Presbyterian Church, New York city, where he was installed May 26, 1850, and dismissed Oct. 9, 1854. He was then successively in stalled at the First Church, Meriden, Conn., Nov. 16, 1854, dismissed Sept. 18, 1860; Keokuk, Io., Oct. 30, 1860, dismissed April 8, 1867. At this latter date he went to Europe, where he spent a few months. Returning to New York in 1868, he supplied Mercer Street Church from May to October of tie same year. He was then acting pastor at Waterloo, Io., from October, 1868, to March, 1871. In 1871 he was elected president of the State University of Iowa, in which position he remained until June, 1877. He was then, from 1877 to 1878, acting pastor at Iowa City. In 1871 he received the honorary degree of D.D. from Iowa and Knox colleges. He died in Hartford of disease of the brain and heart, Dec. 27,1878. Dr. Thacher published Two Sermons at Meriden, one of which was suggested by the career of John Brown: — A Sermon: "No Fellowship with Slavery" (Keokuk, 1861): — Inaugural Address, as president of Iowa University (1871). (W. P. S.)
