ems, which have appeared in the magazines, but have never been collected in book-form.
LATHROP, or LOTHROP, John, clergyman,
b. in Norwich, Conn., 17 May, 1740; d. in Boston,
Mass., 4 Jan., 1816. He was a great-grandson of
John, who was minister of Barnstable and Scitu-
ate in 1634-'53. He began the study of medicine,
but afterward chose the clerical profession, and
entered Princeton, where he was graduated in 1763.
He taught in Dr. Eleazar Wheelock's Indian school
while studying theology under that clergyman,
labored as a missionary among the Indians, and in
1768 was settled as pastor of the Old North church
in Boston. While that city was in the possession
of the British he supplied a congregation in Provi-
dence, R. I. Returning in 1776, he found that his
•church had been demolished by the enemy. He
assisted Dr. Ebenezer Pemberton in the New Brick
church, and in 1779, after the latter's death, be-
came pastor of the united congregations. He re-
ceived the degree of D. D. from Harvard in 1768,
and from Edinburgh in 1785. He wrote his name
Lothrop, which spelling is followed by many of
his descendants. Besides numerous sermons and
papers in the " Collections " of the American
academy, he published a " Biographical Memoir of
the Rev. John Lothrop" (Boston, 1813), and a
"Compendious History of the Late War " (1815).
— His son, John, poet, b. in Boston, Mass., 13
Jan., 1772: d. in Georgetown, D. C. 30 Jan., 1820.
was graduated at Harvard in 1789, studied law,
began practice at Dedham, Mass., in 1797, and was
appointed clerk of Norfolk county, but removed
soon afterward to Boston, where he became the
companion of Robert T. Paine, Charles Prentiss,
and other wits, and contributed with them to the
Federalist Boston "Gazette," neglecting his pro-
fession to indulge his literary tastes. In 1799 he
embarked for Calcutta, India, in the hope of im-
proving his fortunes. He taught and wrote for
the journals in that city for ten years. While
there he approached Lord Wellesley with a scheme
for a great university for the instruction of the
natives in European science ; but the governor-
general condemned the projeet because it would
sow the seeds of independence among the con-
quered race. He returned in 1809 with the in-
tention of establishing a literary journal, but
abandoned the purpose because of the political
excitement of the time, and opened a school in
Boston. Besides teaching, he wrote for the news-
papers, lectured on natural philosophy, and was a
frequent orator on festive occasions. Removing to
the south, he pursued his occupations of teacher,
lecturer, and writer for the press in Georgetown
and Washington. He finally obtained a place in
the post-office, but his broken health did not per-
mit him to occupy it long. Pie published a fourth
of July oration that he had delivered at Boston in
1796, and one at Dedham in 1798; also a poem en-
titled " Speech of Caunonicus, an Indian Tradi-
tion " (Calcutta, 1802 ; reprinted in Boston. 1803).
He prepared a " Pocket Register and Freemason's
Anthology" (1813), and in 1819 began a work on
the manners and customs of India, but did not com-
plete it. His shorter poems were never collected.
LATHROP, John Hiram, educator, b. in Sherburne, Chenango co., N. Y., 22 Jan., 1799 ; d. in
Columbia, Mo., 2 Aug., 1866. He was graduated
at Yale in 1819, taught for three years at Farming-
ton, Conn., and was tutor at Yale from 1822 till
1826, when he was admitted to the bar and began
practice at Middletown, Conn. ; but after six
months he resumed teaching at Norwich, Vt., took
charge a few months later of a scientific school at
Gardiner, Me., and became in 1829 professor of
mathematics and natural philosophy in Hamilton
college, Clinton, N. Y., and in 1835 of law. history,
and political economy. He became president of
Missouri university in" 1840. in 1849 first chancellor
of Wisconsin university, and in 1859 president of
Indiana university, which post he resigned in
1860 and returned to Missouri university as pro-
fessor of English literature. He was re-elected
president in 1865, and held that office till his
death. He received the degree of LL. D. from
Hamilton in 1845. His published addresses dis-
cuss questions connected with higher education.
LATHROP, Joseph, clergyman, b. in Norwich,
Conn., 20 Oct., 1731 ; d. in West Springfield, Mass.,
31 Dec, 1820. He was graduated at Yale in 1754,
and taught at Springfield. Mass., at the same time
studying theology. In August, 1756, he was or-
dained pastor of the Congregational church in
West Springfield, where he preached until 1818.
He received the degree of D. I). from Yale in 1791
and from Harvard in 1811. A controversy arose in
his congregation in 1772 on the subject of baptism,
and his discourses in refutation of the Baptists
passed through several editions. His published
sermons were very numerous. A part of them
were issued in seven volumes (1796-1821), the last
of which, published posthumously, contains his
autobiography, which is remarkable for simplicity
and candor. This collection contains two sermons,
entitled " Wolves in Sheep's Clothing," that were
called forth by dissensions in his church, and
originallv published with others on the same sub-
ject (Edinburgh, 1781).
LATIMER, Charles, engineer, b. in Washing-
ton, D. C, 7 Sept., 1827; d. in Cleveland, Ohio, 25
March, 1888. He was graduated at the naval
academy in 1848. having entered the navy in 1841,
and. after holding the appointments of acting lieu-
tenant and assistant professor in the naval acad-
emy, resigned in 1854. He then became axeman
and roadman on the Mobile and Ohio railroad, and
subsequently until 1857 was assistant engineer on
various lines. He controlled a steamboat line for
several years, but during the civil war he was as-
sistant and division engineer in the U. S. mili-
tary railroad service in Kentucky, Tennessee, and
Georgia. Later he held the office of assistant en-
gineer to various companies, including the New
York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio railroad company,
of which in 1886 he became the engineer. Mr.
Latimer invented a system of naval signals by
lights, from which Coston's signals were taken, a
safety-guard for railway bridges, and a method of
returning to the track trains that have been de-
railed. He edited during 1883-'7 the " Inter-
national Standard." a magazine devoted to the
preservation of Anglo-Saxon weights and measures
and opposing the introduction of the metric sys-
tem, and he also published the " Road-Master's
Assistants" (New York, 1878); "The Divining
Rod" (Cleveland, 1876); and "Battle of Stand-
ards" (Chicago, 1880).
LATIMER, George, statesman, b. in Philadelphia, Pa., in 1750; d. there, 12 June. 1825. He was educated at the College of Philadelphia (now University of Pennsylvania), and entered the Continental army, serving till 1777. He was a delegate to the Pennsylvania convention that ratified
the constitution of the United States in 1787, a member of the lower house of the legislature in 1792-'9 and its speaker for five years, a presidential elector in 1792, collector of customs in 1798-1804, and, during the war of 1812, a member of the Philadelphia committee of defence.
