SPRING
SPRUANCE
1856-73. He declined the presidencj- of Hamilton
and Daitniouth colleges; was cliancellor of the
University of the City of New York, ad interim,
1850-52; a founder of the American Bible society
<I816), of the American Tract society (1835), and of
the American Home Missionary society (1826), and
received the honorary degree of D.D. from Hamil-
ton in 1819, and from Lafayette in 1853. He is the
author of: Distinguishing Traits of Christian
Character (1813); Fragments from the Stndijof a
Pastor (1838); Obligations of the World to the Bible
(18-41); The Attraction of the Cross (1815); The
Bible not of Man (1847); Discourses to Seamen
(1847); The Power of the Pulpit (1848); The Mercy
Seat (1849); First Things (3 vols.. 1851); The
Glory of Christ (3 vols., 1853); Memoirs of the
Rev. Sainuel J. Mills (1854); Contrast between
Good and Bad Men (3 vols., 1855); Pulpit Minis-
trations (3 vols., 1864), and Personal Reminis-
cences of the Life and Times of Gardiner Sijring
1866). He died in New York city, Aug. 18, 1873.
SPRING, Leverett Wilson, educator, was born
in Grafton, Vt., Jan. 5, 1840; son of Edward and
Martha (Atwood) Spring; grandson of Samuel
-and Eunice (Stowell) Spring, and a descendant of
John Spring, who settled at Watertown, Mass.,
in 1634. He attended Burr and Burton seminary,
Manchester, Vt., 1856-58; was graduated from
Williams college, A.B., 1863, and from the Theo-
logical Institute of Connecticut at Hartford in
1866, and was a post-graduate student at Andover
Theological seminary, 1866-07, at the same time
temporarily supplying the pulpit of the Congre-
gational church at Castleton, Vt. He was mar-
ried, Sept. 35, 1867, to Elizabeth, daughter of
Professor William (q.v.), and Eliza (Butler)
Thompson, of Hartford, Conn. He supplied a
church in Middleburj% Vt., during the winter of
1867-68, and was ordained pastor of the RoUstone
church, Fitchburg, Mass., April 16, 1868, resign-
ing in June, 1875, and removing for the benefit
of his health to Lawrence, Kansas, where he
served as acting-pastor of the Plymouth church,
1876-81. He was professor of belles-lettres and
English literature in the University of Kansas,
1881-86, and Morris professor of rhetoric in Wil-
liams college from 1886. He received the honor-
ary degree of A.M. from Williams college in 1886,
and in the same year that of D.D. from the Uni-
versity of Kansas. He was a member of the
American Historical association, and the ]\Iassa-
chusetts Historical society, and published: Kan-
sas in the "American Commonwealth series"
(1885); Mai-k Hopkins, Teacher, a monograph
(1888), and contributions to magazines. He also
edited: " The Addresses of President Hopkins and
the Rev. Thomas Robbins at the Semi-Centennial
of Williams college" (1893), and "The Centen-
nial Anniversary of Williams college " (1893).
SPRINGER, Rebecca Ruter, author, was born
in Indianapolis, Ind., Nov. 8, 1832; daughter of
Calvin Washington and Harriet Charlotte (Haas)
Ruter; granddaughter of Job and Sarah Ruter
and of Michael anH Sophia (Brish) Haas, and a
descendant of Huguenots, refugees, who settled in
Virginia in 1685. She attended the private
schools of New Albany, Ind., 1840-48, and was
graduated from the Wesleyan college, Cincin-
nati, Oliio, in June, 1850. She was married, Dec.
15, 1859, to William McKendree Springer (q.v.),
and devoted herself to literary work. She is the
author of: Beechwood (1873): Self {\^S\y. Songs
by the Sea (1889); Intra 3Iuros (1898), and .l/<r-
iam and Leon in MS.
SPRINGER, William Mckendree, jurist, was born in New Lebanon, Sullivan county, Ind., May 30, 1836; .son of Thomas Brackett and Kath- arine (Sandusk}') Springer: and a descendant of Carl Springer, who died at Wilmington, Del., 1738. He attended Illlinois college, Jack- sonville, and was graduated from the Indiana State uni- versity, A.B., 1858, A.M., 1861. He en- gaged in newspaper work as editor and correspondent, 1858- 63; was admitted to the bar in 1859, and was married, Dec. 15,1859, to Rebecca, daughter of Calvin Washington and Har- riet Charlotte (Haas) Ruter, of Indianapolis, Ind. tative in the state legislature in 1872; a Demo- cratic representative from the Springfield district in the 44th-54th congresses, 1875-95, where he was the author of the Springer bill, organizing the territory of Oklahoma and creating the judi- cial system for Indian Territoiy, and of the bill admitting Washington, Montana and North and South Dakota, as states into the Union, and chair- man of the ways and means committee in the 53d congress. He was appointed U.S. judge for the northern district of Indian Territory, and was chief justice of the U.S. court of appeals of Indian Territory, 1895-99. The honorary degree of LL.D. was conferred on him by Illinois college, 1886.
SPRUANCE, Presley, senator, was born in Delaware, in 1785. He engaged in mercantile pursuits in Smyrna, Del., and was a member of the state senate and its president. He was elected to the U.S. senate as a Whig in 1847, and served a full term expiring March 3, 1853. He died in Smyrna, Del., Feb. 13, 1863.
He was a represen-