John Heyl Vincent, bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church and
chancellor of the Chautauqua system, was born in Tuscaloosa,
Alabama, February 23, 1832. He was educated at Lewisburg and Milton,
Pennsylvania, and as a mere boy gave evidence of the religious trend of
his nature. When only eighteen years of age he was a preacher, and many
of his then sermons are said to have been both eloquent and convincing.
After studying in the Wesleyan Institute of Newark, New Jersey, he
joined the New Jersey Conference in 1853, was ordained deacon and four
years later was made pastor. He had several charges in Illinois between
1857 and 1865, and during the next fourteen years brought into being a
number of Sunday school publications. He was one of the founders of the
Chautauqua Assembly and was the organizer of the Chautauqua Literary
and Scientific Circle, of which he has held office of chancellor
since its inception. In 1900 he was made resident bishop in charge of
the European work of the church with which he was associated. He is
preacher to Harvard, Yale, Cornell, Wellesley and other colleges. As an
author of helpful and interesting religious works, Dr. Vincent is well
known to all students of American literature.