Blair, James Gilman Dd, Lld

Blair, James Gilman D.D., LL.D., a Methodist Episcopal minister, was born at Marcellus, N. Y., Sept. 18, 1816, of zealous Christian parents. He had an intense love for the study of books and nature from boyhood, and many anecdotes are related of his early abstraction of mind. He experienced religion in his youth, and was soon licensed to exhort. In 1835 he was associated in Cazenovia Seminary, and in 1841 graduated with honors at Wesleyan University, Middletown, Corn. He then became principal of Blendon Young Men's Seminary at Westerville, O., where he was eminently successful. Having become a member of the Ohio (now Cincinnati) Conference, in 1843, he entered upon active itinerant labors on White Oak Circuit, comprising twenty-two appointments. Through his teaching at Greenfield, a seminary was inaugurated in 1846, over which he presided six years. In 1852 he was elected to the, chair of vice-president and professor of natural sciences in the Ohio State University, at Athens. Here he spent twelve years in profound study, lecturing and preaching. Most of his time between 1864 and 1870 was devoted to educational labors in Ohio and West Virginia. His latter years were spent in active service in the West Virginia Conference. He died Dec. 23, 1878. Mr. Blair was a great admirer of primitive Methodism. As a theologian he was profound, as a preacher highly interesting and instructive. See Min. of Annual Conf., 1879, p. 56.