James DeKoven - Hardcover

by John E. Magerus (Author), Sheryl a. Kujawa-Holbrook (Foreword by)

Calls for a biography of James DeKoven were voiced soon after his death in 1879. When he died, he was considered the best-known Episcopalian in the country. Yet twenty years later when the first, inadequate biography of DeKoven was published, he had almost been forgotten. This new biography, researched and written by the former archivist of the DeKoven Center in Racine, Wisconsin, follows the trajectory of his life from son of a well-established merchant family in Connecticut, to his education in New York City, and then to his move in 1854 to the frontier of the young state of Wisconsin. Previously unavailable sources, including letters and memoirs, have been used to complete the historical record. Most importantly, his personal journal has been studied in detail to gain insight into his ideas concerning education, religion, and leadership.

Author Biography

John E. Magerus is a former university professor and administrator, who, since his retirement, has actively pursued his passion for history. He first volunteered at the Racine County Heritage Museum and then spent eight years as archivist at the DeKoven Center in Racine, Wisconsin. This archival work led to the research and writing of a biography of James DeKoven, a nineteenth-century Episcopal priest and educator in Wisconsin.