Sweetser, Seth, Dd

Sweetser, Seth, D.D.

a Congregational minister, was born at Newburyport, Mass., March 15,1807. He was prepared for college in Newburyport Academy, under the tuition of Leonard Withington, D.D., and graduated from Harvard College in 1827. He then taught school for two years (1827-29) in Geneseo, N. Y., after which he returned to Harvard College as a tutor, remaining there until 1831, when he entered Andover Theological Semiliary, where, after a full course of three years, he graduated in 1834. He was ordained Nov. 23, 1836, and was called to Gardiner, M.E. where, after preaching two years, he was dismissed, Nov.8, 1838, to the pastorate of the Calvinist Church, Worcester, Mass., was installed Dec. 19 of the same year, and remained in this office until his death, having had a colleague after 1874. Here the great work of his life was done. He was a trustee of Leicester Academy and of Phillips Academy, Andover, from 1850, and president of the latter board from 1864. He was a trustee of the Worcester Free Industrial Institute and of Worcester Memorial Hospital. He was also a member of the council of the, American Antiquarian Society, a corporate member of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions from 1854, one of the vice- presidents of the American Home Mission Society from 1864, and president of the American Education Society. From 1866 to 1873 he was overseer of Harvard College, during which time he published various Reports, Sermons, and Addresses; also several articles in the Bibliotheca Sacra. He died from the effect of a spinal injury and pulmonary disease combined March 24,1878. (W.P.S.)