Schem, Alexander Jacob

Schem, Alexander Jacob a religious journalist and statistician, was born at Wiedenbrick, Germany, March 16, 1826. After a course of instruction at the gymnasium of Paderborn, he studied theology at Bonn (1843), and Tubingen (1845); became a Roman Catholic priest (1846), but embraced Protestantism, and edited a newspaper in Westphalia (1849). In 1851 he came to America. was professor of languages in Dickinson College (1854-60), and afterwards devoted himself to literary labors, especially in connection with several religious and political newspapers. He died at Hoboken, N.J., May 21, 1881, being at the time assistant superintendent of the public schools in New York city. He was a contributor to Appleton's Cyclopaedia, M'Clintock and Strong's Cyclopaedia, editor of the Deutsch- Amerikanische Conversations-Lexicon (1869-74), of a Latin English Lexicon (in connection with Dr. Crooks), of a Cyclopaediae of Education (in connection with Henry Kullle), and author of several Year-books, besides other volumes.