James L. Barton
James Levi Barton (1855–1936) was an American Protestant missionary and educator who devoted his life to establishing and administering schools and colleges in the Near East, and overseeing Near East relief efforts before and after World War I. He rose to prominence in the United States and internationally when he was named Chairman of the American Committee for Relief in the Near East, and subsequently the follow-on organization, Near East Relief.[1] He was fluent in Armenian,[2] a prolific writer with numerous books to his name, and the recipient of multiple honorary degrees.
Biography
James L. Barton was born to a Quaker family in Charlotte, Vermont on September 23, 1855.[3][4]
He graduated from Middlebury College in 1881, and from Hartford Theological Seminary in 1885.[4][5]
He died at New England Deaconess Hospital in Boston on July 21, 1936, and was buried at Newton Cemetery in Newton, Massachusetts.[4]
Honorary doctorates
Barton was honored with five honorary doctorates from four universities:[3]
Associated organizations
- Foreign Secretary of American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions[6]
- Chairperson, American Committee for Relief in the Near East[7]
- Chairperson, Near East Relief[1]
Books
- The Missionary and His Critics, 1906
- Daybreak in Turkey, 1908
- The Unfinished Task of the Christian Church: Introductory Studies in the Problem of the World’s Evangelization, 1908
- Human Progress through Missions, 1912
- Educational Missions, 1913
- The Christian Approach to Islam, 1918
- The Story of Near East Relief (1915–1930), 1930
Articles and journals
- "The Effect of the War on Protestant Missions". Harvard Theological Review. XII (1). January 1919.
- "The Crisis in Armenia". The New Armenia (published December 1919). XI (12): 178–179. November 1919.
References
- Report to Congress for 1924. New York: Near East Relief. 1925. p. 2. Retrieved March 17, 2023 – via Google Books.
- District Court of the United States for the District of Oregon, deposition qualifying Barton as an Armenian expert, especially p. 89,
- "Memorial records for James L. Barton". American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
- "Dr. J. L. Barton Dead, Churchman was 81". The Boston Globe. July 22, 1936. pp. 1, 17. Retrieved March 17, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- Anderson, Gerald H., ed. (1998). "Barton, James Levi (1855–1936)". Biographical Dictionary of Christian Missions. New York: Macmillan Reference. p. 46. Retrieved March 17, 2023 – via Boston University School of Theology.
- "A Quiet Leader: James L. Barton". Near East Foundation. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
- Bengston, Carl J., ed. (1919). "The Sailing of the Armenian and Syrian Relief Expedition". The Lutheran Companion. Vol. 27. Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Synod of North America. p. 127. Retrieved March 17, 2023 – via Google Books.