Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 01.djvu/241

"Natural Theology" (1880); "Science of Mind" (1881); "The Words of Christ" (1884); "Problems in Philosophy" (1885); "Sociology" (1887); "The New Theology" (1891); "Historical Interpretation of Philosophy" (1893); "Social Theory" (1895), and "God and His Goodness" (1901.)

BASHFORD, Coles, governor of Wisconsin, was born at Alden, N.Y., Jan. 24, 1816. After the usual preliminary course, he studied law at the Wesleyan seminary, Lima, N.Y., was admitted to the bar in 1841, and became prominent in politics in three different states, acting as district attorney for Wayne county, N.Y., 1847-'50; removed to Oshkosh, Wis., was a member of the Whig state convention of Wisconsin in 1851; state senator in the Wisconsin legislature, 1853-'55; the first Republican governor of Wisconsin, 1855-'57; removed to Tucson, Arizona; was attorney-general of the territory, 1864-'67; delegate to Congress, 1867-'69, and secretary of the territory, 1869-'76. He died April 25, 1878.

BASHFORD, James Whitford, educator, was born in Fayette, Lafayette county, Wis., May 25, 1849. His father was a Methodist minister, and he was reared on a Wisconsin farm, receiving a good common-school education and was graduated with honor from the University of Wisconsin, with the class of 1873. He had to contend with financial difficulties and a protracted illness during his college course, serving during the time as principal of the Fayette high school and also teaching one season during his sophomore year, by reason of which he did not complete his course until the age of twenty-four. He projected and was editor of the University Press, while in college, the pioneer college weekly of the state, by which he paid his debts, and after completing his studies was made tutor of Greek in the university. During his freshman year at college he united with the Methodist Episcopal church, and decided to adopt the ministry as a profession. Accordingly he entered the school of theology of Boston university in 1874, to prepare for his life work, and having completed the prescribed course in 1876, he continued his studies in the same university, and graduated in the school of oratory in 1878, and in the school of all sciences in 1879, securing the degree of Ph.D. He then officiated as pastor of the Harrison Square church, Jamaica Plain (Boston), until 1880. In that year he married Jane Field and with his wife travelled in Europe, and again in 1887 they made an extensive tour of Italy, Greece and Germany. He subsequently filled pastorates at Auburndale, Mass., Portland, Me., and, Buffalo, N.Y., and delivered courses or lectures on systematic theology in the University of Denver and De Pauw. Owing to his exceptional ability and attainments, he was offered the presidency of several leading colleges, and, in 1889, left his pastorate to accept the presidency of the Ohio Wesleyan university, where an annual attendance of nearly twelve hundred students gave him a broad field for the use of his literary and pedagogic powers. In 1890 the Northwestern university conferred on him the degree of D.D. As a member of the board of trustees of the Ohio anti-saloon league he exerted a powerful influence in the temperance cause. He contributed liberal articles to the periodical literature of the church, and is the author of "The True Church," "Christianity and Education," "The Bible Women," and a course of lectures on "Systematic Theology."

BASKERVILL, William Malone, educator, was born in Fayette county, Tenn., April 1, 1850. He received his collegiate training at Randolph-Macon college, Va., and went from there to the University of Leipsic, from which he was graduated with the degree of Ph.D. in 1880. On his return to America, he was called to the chair of Latin and French, in Wofford college, S.C., from which he had received the degree of A.M. in 1878; and in 1881, he was elected adjunct-professor of the English language and literature at Vanderbilt university; during that collegiate year he also had charge of the French and German; the following year he was made full professor, and devoted himself exclusively to the chair of English. His publications include: "Epistola Alexandri ad Aristotelem," "A Handy Anglo-Saxon Dictionary" — in conjunction with Prof. J.A. Harrison; "An Outline of Anglo-Saxon Grammar"; an edition of "Andreas," and an "English Grammar" — in conjuncton with J.W. Sewell. His popular writings are: "The Study of English," "Higher Education of Women," "Thackeray," "Southern Writers," including Joel Chandler Harris; "Maurice Thompson," "Sidney Lanier," etc., etc., "Southern Literature," "English Writers of To-day" — a series of articles for the Chautauquan, and some etymological work for the Century, He died at Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 7. 1899.

BASKETTE, Gideon Hicks, journalist, was born at Middleton, Rutherford county, Tenn., March 11, 1845. He was educated at Murfrees-