Asa Drury facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Asa Drury
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Asa Drury ca. 1865
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| Born | July 26, 1801 |
| Died | March 18, 1870 (aged 68) St. Anthony, Minnesota, United States
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| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Yale University A.B. 1829 Brown University A.M. 1832 Brown University D.D. 1834 |
| Known for | establishment of public schools in Covington, Kentucky; antebellum abolitionist; Denison University professor |
| Spouse(s) | Hannah Perry Drury (m. 1832) Mary Elizabeth (Willard) Drury (m. 1834) |
| Children | Alexander Greer Drury (1844–1929) Marshall P. Drury (b. 1846) |
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Asa Drury biography at Kenton County Library
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Asa Drury (1801–1870) was an American minister and teacher. He is remembered for helping to start public schools in Covington, Kentucky. He was also known for his strong beliefs against slavery before the American Civil War. He played a part in the Underground Railroad in Ohio. He taught at Denison University and the Western Baptist Theological Institute.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Asa Drury was born on July 26, 1801. His hometown was Athol, Massachusetts. He was one of eleven children in his family.
He went to Yale University and earned his first college degree (an A.B.) in 1829. After graduating, he worked as a headmaster at the Hopkins School in New Haven, Connecticut. This was from 1829 to 1831.
Later, he studied at Brown University. He earned a Master's degree (A.M.) in 1832. He received another degree (D.D.) from Brown in 1834. He became a Baptist minister in Providence, Rhode Island, on September 14, 1834.
Family Life
Asa Drury married Hannah Perry in 1832. Sadly, she passed away within a year. While at Brown University, he met and married Mary Elizabeth Willard. They were married on September 7, 1834. Asa and Elizabeth had two sons:
- Alexander G. Drury, born in 1844
- Marshall P. Drury, born in 1846
Teaching and Ministry Work
Soon after becoming a minister in 1834, Asa Drury began teaching. He was invited to teach Latin and Greek at the Granville Literary and Theological Institution. He taught there for two years.
Drury was a strong supporter of ending slavery. He helped set up a safe place for people escaping slavery on the Granville campus. This was part of the Underground Railroad. He also helped organize a meeting in 1836 for people who wanted to end slavery in Ohio.
In 1836, Drury moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. He became a professor of Greek at Cincinnati College. He stayed there until 1845. For one year, he taught at Waterville College in Waterville, Maine.
Work in Covington, Kentucky
Starting in 1845, Drury took on several important jobs in Covington, Kentucky. He was one of the first teachers at the Western Baptist Theological Institute. There, he taught theology. He also ran a classical school connected to the seminary.
In 1853, Drury left the institute. He became a teacher and principal at the new Covington Public High School. This school opened on January 8, 1853. On January 26, 1856, he became the first Superintendent of the Covington Public School System. He did a great job as superintendent.
However, his salary increases went against the school's rules. In 1859, the school board had to lower his pay to follow the rules. Drury resigned right away. That same year, he opened the Judsonia Female Seminary with a partner. This school was in the old Western Baptist Theological Institute building. The seminary closed by 1861. The building was then used as a hospital during the American Civil War.
Civil War and Later Life
On February 8, 1862, Drury became a chaplain for the 18th Regiment Kentucky Volunteer Infantry. He served in the Union Army during the Civil War. He was captured during the Battle of Richmond in Kentucky on August 30, 1862. He was sent home on parole. He officially left the service on October 4, 1863.
In 1864, he moved to Minnesota. He taught at a private school for a year. In 1865, he became the pastor of the First Baptist Church in St. Anthony, Minnesota. He passed away there on March 18, 1870. Asa Drury was buried in Linden Grove Cemetery in Covington, Kentucky.
Family Connections
Asa Drury's son, Alexander Greer Drury (1844–1929), became a well-known doctor and medical historian. He practiced medicine in Cincinnati. He also taught dermatology at Laura Memorial Woman's Medical College. Later, he taught hygiene at the Cincinnati College of Medicine. Alexander wrote books like Legends of the Apple and Dante, Physician. He was also president of the Ohio State Medical Association.
Asa Drury's second son, Marshall, worked as an insurance broker in St. Louis, Missouri. Asa Drury was a direct descendant of Hugh Drury and Lydia (Rice) Drury. Lydia was the daughter of Edmund Rice, an English settler in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
