William Tracy
William Tracy [1]
a Presbyterian minister, was born at Norwich, Conn., June 2,1807. He went to Philadelphia and united with the Church in February; 1827. Being induced, by the advice of Rev. John L. Grant, to study for the ministry, he accordingly entered Williamstown Academy, and from thence Williams College, where he remained three years, but left before graduation. After this he taught school a year in Lexington, Ky. Then he spent a year in Andover Theological Seminary, and thence went to Princeton Seminary, where he remained two years. He was licensed to preach in 1835, and was ordained by the Philadelphia Presbytery as an evangelist. Having devoted himself to the work of foreign missions, he sailed for India, and, having reached Madras, he went to the Madura district, his field of labor, in 1837. He established a boarding-school at Tirumangaltum, which grew to a high- grade seminary, having fifty pupils. Here he spent twenty-two years of his life, and he educated more than 250 young men. He prepared many text- books in theology and science and gave important aid in revising the Tamil Bible. In November, 1877, his youngest son and wife joined him and his mother in India as missionaries, to share their labors and their home, but his work was done. After the Sabbath which he spent in the sanctuary, he was attacked with rheumatic cramps and diarrhea, which brought him rapidly to the end, and he died at Tirumangaltum, Nov. 28, 1877. (W.P.S.)
