Weidensall, Robert 1836-1922.

Robert Weidensall was born in 1836 in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania and helped organized the YMCA there in 1866. While working as superintendant in the Union Pacific Railroad's car shops in Nebraska, he became active in the Omaha YMCA and was elected its vice president in 1868. Later that year he was made a YMCA employee as its fires field secretary to organize YMCAs along the Union Pacific line. In the course of 54 years, Weidensall pioneered the YMCA movement among railroad workers and in schools and colleges, conceived the first professional associations and training schools for YMCA secretaries, and travelled throughout the country and the world promoting the YMCA. Rural work was a special object of his attention. Weidensall proposed and laid the foundation for successful county work and organized the first rural association in DuPage, Illinois in 1873. Weidensall died on September 13, 1922 in Yutan, Nebraska at the age of 86.

From the description of Robert Weidensall papers, 1844-1940 (bulk 1960-1920). (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis). WorldCat record id: 62702004

Robert Weidensall was born in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania on April 20, 1836. He graduated from Gettysburg College intending to be a minister. He attended seminary in Gettysburg, but was unable to complete his studies because of ill health. After teaching school for the better part of two years, he went to Washington, D.C. in the spring of 1863, where he found work as a carpenter in the quartermaster's department of the army . Later that year he joined the railroad construction corps, serving six months with the Army of the Potomac and nearly a year with the army of Cumberland and Tennessee. In 1866, after working for a few months at blacksmithing in the Pennsylvania oil region, he returned to Hollidaysburg, where he helped to organize a YMCA. That same year he went to Omaha, Nebraska, where he was a superintendent in Union Pacific Railroad's car shops. While there he became active in the Omaha YMCA and was elected its vice president in 1868. Later that year he was made a YMCA employee as its first field secretary to organize YMCAs along the Union Pacific line.

In the course of 54 years of service, "Uncle Robert", as he was affectionately called, pioneered the movement in schools and colleges, proposed general secretaries associations and training schools for secretaries, canvassed the south, and developed state work in the Midwest. Rural work was a special object of his attention. Weidensall proposed and laid the foundation for successful county work and organized the first rural association in DuPage, Illinois in 1873. Weidensall died on September 13, 1922 in Yutan, Nebraska at the age of 86.

From the guide to the Robert Weidensall papers., 1844-1940, (bulk 1860-1920)., (University of Minnesota. Kautz Family YMCA Archives. [ymca])