John Witherspoon

For the actor, see John Witherspoon (actor).

Dr. John Witherspoon (February 5, 1723 – November 15, 1794), was a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of New Jersey. He was the only clergyman to sign the Declaration.

Birth

He was born in Gifford, East Lothian, Scotland and obtained a Master of Arts at the University of Edinburgh, and went on to divinity school. He became a Church of Scotland (presbyterian) minister at Beith, North Ayrshire, where he married and wrote three well-known works on theology. He was awarded a Doctorate of Divinity from the University of St. Andrews, Fife. During the Jacobite rising of 1745, he was briefly imprisoned at Doune Castle, Doune, Stirling, which had a longterm impact on his health.

Princeton University

At the urging of Benjamin Rush and Richard Stockton, he and his wife emigrated to New Jersey in 1768, at the age of 45, where he took up the position of President of the College of New Jersey (which was later to become Princeton University). He was firm but good-humored in his leadership and instituted a number of reforms, including modelling the syllabus and university structure on that used at the University of St Andrews and other Scottish universities. Witherspoon was very popular among both faculty and students, among them James Madison and Aaron Burr. As the College's primary occupation at the time was training ministers, Witherspoon was a major leader of the early Presbyterian church in America. In Princeton today, a dormitory built in 1877, the street running north from the University's main gate, and the local public middle school each bear his name. A statue of Witherspoon stands beside East Pyne Hall.

Revolutionary War

As a native Scotsman, long wary of the power of the British Crown, Witherspoon soon came to support the Revolution, joining the Committee of Correspondence and Safety in early 1776. He was elected to the Continental Congress and, in July 1776, voted for the Resolution for Independence. In answer to an objection that the country was not yet ready for independence, he replied that it "was not only ripe for the measure, but in danger of rotting for the want of it." He was praised by George Washington and John Adams for his devotion to the Revolutionary cause. For the same reason, he was denounced with unusual vehemence by the British press. In November, 1778, as British forces neared, he closed and evacuated the College of New Jersey. The buildings were nearly destroyed, and Witherspoon was responsible for its rebuilding after the war, which caused him great personal and financial difficulty. He also served twice in the New Jersey Legislature, and strongly supported the adoption of the United States Constitution during the New Jersey ratification debates.

Death and burial

He suffered a series of eye injuries and was blind by 1792. He died on his farm Tusculum, just outside of Princeton, and is buried in the Princeton Cemetery.

Legacy

His direct descendants include Academy Award-winning actress Reese Witherspoon. He is commemmorated by a statue in Washington D.C.. The published reference book on The Descendants of The Signers of the Declaration of Independence, Vol 3. do not support Reese's claim of direct descendency. The last know male Witherspoon is Henry Kollock Witherspoon, Jr. A son in law was Congressman David Ramsay. David married Frances Witherspoon on 18 Mar 1783.

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