John Witherspoon – Signer of the Declaration of Independence – New Jersey
Jason Rusk
Dynamic leader with a proven track record in developing successful strategies to drive innovation and delivering effective solutions.
Date Visited: 15 August 2022
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1723 - 1794
Accomplishments
Born: February 15, 1723
Died: November 15, 1794 at 71
Address: 11–15 Wiggins St Princeton, NJ??08542
Coordinates: 40.35238° N, 74.66019° W
As the “Loudest Voice” for Independence, he is most remembered for his answer to another delegate comment that “we are not ripe for revolution”, Witherspoon replied, “Not ripe sir, we?are not only ripe for the measure but in danger of rotting for the want of it.”
He was recruited by the board of Trustees to The College of New Jersey,?Benjamin Rush and Richard Stockton (also Signers of the Declaration of Independence) among others were sent to Scotland to convince him to take position.?
John and his family sailed for Philadelphia on the brigantine Peggy which arrived in August of 1768. Princeton University is what it is today in no small part to the work of John Witherspoon before and after the Revolutionary war. He took it over as a small private college that was heavily in debt and had to rebuild it after the damage it received at the hands of the British.??While his work was significant, the college never fully recovered its prewar status and prosperity before his death.?
Witherspoon Hall on the Princeton University Campus.
The word "Campus" is very important to us. Do you know what it means? University? Collection of buildings? Place to meet students? It was John Witherspoon who produced this word. Witherspoon was the sixth president of the College of New Jersey (now called Princeton University) and served for 25 years. Before him, the college consisted of one building called Nassau Hall, but many new buildings were added during his presidency. After seeing those buildings springing up, he came with the word "Campus." Link
Did you know? Princeton's protocol requires that the Nassau Hall building be placed first in every Princeton photo collection. This main administration building was once George Washington's capitol of the United States. A fierce combat action took place in and around this building during the Independence War.
Princeton Cemetery is not hard to find, and parking can be found easily on Greenview Avenue. I could have taken the beast onto the grounds, but I find that some are a tight fit for the big truck, plus it allowed me to enjoy the perfect weather and see what else I could find. I wasn’t disappointed.
The section that Witherspoon is in has a number of the large above ground tombs. This is also where most of the Witherspoon family is buried.
Naturally, being a cemetery in the middle of Princeton, New Jersey, with all of the former Presidents of Princeton University, a U.S. President and Vice President, this is a very well-kept graveyard, and the headstones are very well preserved given their age.?
John Witherspoons grave is tucked in with a group of similar tombs.
The inscription on top of the tomb reads:?
Beneath this marble lie interred
the mortal remains of
JOHN WITHERSPOON, D.D. LL.D.
a venerable and beloved President of the College of New-Jersey.
He was born in the parish of Yester, in Scotland,
领英推荐
on the 5th of February, 1722, O. S.
And was liberally educated in the University of Edinburgh;
invested with holy orders in the year 1743,
he faithfully performed the duties of his pastoral charge,
during five and twenty years,
first at Beith, and then at Paisley.
Elected president of Nassau Hall,
he asumed the duties of that office on the 13th of August, 1768,
with the elevated expectations of the public.
Excelling in every mental gift,
he was a man of pre-eminent piety and virture
and deeply versed in the various branches
of literature and the liberal arts.
A grave and solemn preacher,
his sermons abounded in the most excellent doctrines and precepts,
and in lucid expositins of the Holy Scriptures.
Affable, pleasant, and courteous in familiar conversation,
he was eminently distinguished
in concerns and deliberations of the church,
and endowed with the greatest prudence
in the management and instruction of youth.
He exalted the reputation of the college amongst foreigners,
and greatly promoted the advancement
of its literary character and taste.
He was, for a long time, conspicuous
Among the most brilliant luminaries of learning and of the Church.
At length, universally venerated, beloved, and lamented,
he departed this life on the fifteenth of November, MDCCXCIV.
aged LXXIII years.
For some reason, I was led to believe that Richard Stockton was also buried in this cemetery. So, I spent another hour walking up and down the rows looking for the Signers plaque. What I found out was that his son is buried there, so I was slightly behind schedule for this day, but found two other graves that were very interesting.?
Vice President under President Thomas Jefferson, Aaron Burr.
And President Grover Cleveland, who according to whitehouse.gov was “The first Democrat elected after the Civil War in 1885, our 22nd and 24th President Grover Cleveland was the only President to leave the White House and return for a second term four years later (1885-1889 and 1893-1897)”
Now I had to go track down Richard Stockton.