Rankin, Jeremiah Eames, 1828-1904

Variant names

Dates:

Birth 1828-01-02

Death 1904-11-28

Biographical notes:

Jeremiah Eames Rankin was the President of Howard University from 1889-1903. Trained as a minister and talented as a hymn lyricist, he wrote the lyrics to the famous hymn "God Be With You Till We Meet Again."

1828 Jan. 2 Born in Thornton, New Hampshire, son of Rev. Andrew & Lois Eames Rankin. 1848 Received B.A. degree from Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vt. 1851 Received M.A. degree from the same college. 1854 Graduated from Andover Theological Seminary. 1854 Married Mary Howell Birge. 1854 1856 Pastored Presbyterian Church, Potsdam, N.Y. 1856 Left Presbyterian church and became a Congregational preacher Accepted the pastorate at Lowell and Charleston, MA. 1869 Call to First Congregational Church, Washington, D.C. 1869 Alma Mater conferred D.D. degree upon him. 1882 Wrote hymn ''God Be With You Till We Meet Again." 1884 Accepted pastorate of Congregational Church at Organa Valley, N.J. 1889 Elected to presidency of Howard University, 1889-1903. 1903 Resigned presidency of Howard University. 1904 Died in Cleveland, OH.

From the guide to the Jeremiah E. Rankin Collection, Dates unknown, (Moorland-Spingarn Research Center, Howard University)