William Porcher DuBose facts for kids

William Porcher DuBose (born April 11, 1836 – died August 18, 1918) was an important American priest, writer, and religious thinker in the Episcopal Church. He is remembered for his deep understanding of Christian beliefs.

After serving in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War, where he became a chaplain (a religious leader for soldiers), DuBose taught at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. He was also a chaplain and later the Dean of Theology there. He also served as a chaplain at Fairmount College in Monteagle, Tennessee, which is now called the DuBose Conference Center in his honor.

Early Life and Education

William Porcher DuBose was born in 1836 near Winnsboro, South Carolina. His parents were Jane Sinkler Porcher and Captain Theodore Samuel DuBose. Both sides of his family were Huguenots, French Protestants who came to America in 1686 to escape religious persecution. They settled in the Midlands region of South Carolina.

DuBose grew up on his family's large plantation near Winnsboro. His family owned many enslaved people, which was common for wealthy planters in that time. He received a private education, including attending Mount Zion College, a private school for boys in Winnsboro. He even taught there later.

College Years and a Special Experience

At age 15, DuBose began studying at the South Carolina Military Academy in 1851, which is now known as The Citadel. By his final year in 1855, he was a top student and an Assistant Professor of English. He graduated with "first honors," meaning he was at the very top of his class.

While at The Citadel, DuBose had a very important religious experience. He described it as a moment when "a light shone about me and a Presence filled the room." He felt "ineffable joy and peace," which means a happiness and calm that was impossible to describe.

In 1856, DuBose went on to the University of Virginia, where he earned a Master of Arts degree in 1859. Later that year, he started studying at a new religious school in Camden, South Carolina.

Serving in the Civil War

When the American Civil War started, DuBose left his studies. He joined the Confederate States Army with the Holcombe Legion from South Carolina. He became an adjutant, which is an officer who helps with administrative tasks.

His legion fought in the Second Battle of Manassas, where DuBose was wounded twice. For part of 1862, he was a prisoner of war before being released in a prisoner exchange. He was wounded again in December of that same year.

In 1863, with help from family and church friends, DuBose became a chaplain. After he was ordained as a deacon in December 1863, he joined Kershaw's Brigade as their chaplain in Greeneville, Tennessee. This brigade was led by his cousin, Dudley M. DuBose.

Life as a Priest and Professor

After the war ended, William Porcher DuBose was ordained as a priest in the Episcopal Church on September 9, 1866. He served as a priest for St. John's Parish in Fairfield, which included St. Stephen's Episcopal Church and St. John's Episcopal Church. During this time, he also taught Greek at his old school, Mt. Zion College.

In 1868, DuBose became the rector (head priest) of Trinity Church in Abbeville, South Carolina. In 1870, he was even considered to become a bishop, but he later felt it was "a fortunate escape" that he wasn't chosen.

Teaching at the University of the South

In 1871, DuBose was asked to become the Chaplain and a Professor at the new University of the South. He served as the school's Chaplain from 1871 to 1883. He also played a key role in starting the Theological Department at the university, which is now known as the School of Theology.

He became a professor in the Theological Department in 1877 and was elected Dean of the department in 1894. He held this important position until he retired in 1908. Many people consider him to be one of the most important religious thinkers the Episcopal Church in the USA has ever had.

Family and Later Life

While on leave from the military in 1863, DuBose married Anne Barnwell Peronneau. They had four children together before she passed away in 1873.

In 1878, Dr. DuBose married Mrs. Louise Yerger. She was the headmistress of Fairmount College for Young Ladies in Monteagle, Tennessee. He also became the chaplain for the college and the priest for the nearby Chapel of the Holy Comforter.

After retiring from the University of the South in 1908, Dr. DuBose lived at Fairmount College. He continued to care for the religious needs of the school and the people in the town. He would even ride his horse about twenty miles twice a month to Gruetli to lead services for the Swiss people living there. One Sunday he would speak in German, and the next Sunday in French!

It was during this time that Dr. DuBose wrote some of his most famous books. From his study in Monteagle, he wrote High Priesthood and Sacrifice, The Reason of Life, and his autobiography, Turning Points in My Life. He stayed at the college until he passed away in 1918.

His sister, Elizabeth DuBose, married John Bratton. He was a doctor who became a planter and a general in the Confederate Army. After the war, Bratton became a politician in South Carolina.

Death and Special Recognitions

William Porcher DuBose died in Sewanee, Tennessee, in 1918. He was buried in the cemetery of The University of the South. The Episcopal Church remembers him on August 18 each year in their calendar of saints, called Lesser Feasts and Fasts.

The DuBose Conference Center in Monteagle, Tennessee, used to be Fairmount College. It has long been connected to the Episcopal Church as a training center. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. Today, it is an independent non-profit organization that welcomes groups of all faiths.

Writings

William Porcher DuBose wrote many important books and articles:

• The Christian Ministry. 1870.
• The Soteriology of the New Testament. New York: MacMillan, 1892.
• The Ecumenical Councils. New York: Christian Literature Co., 1896.
• The Gospel in the Gospels. New York: Longmans, Green, & Co., 1906.
• High Priesthood and Sacrifice. New York: Longmans, Green, & Co., 1908.
• The Reason of Life. New York: Longmans, Green, & Co., 1911.
• Turning Points in My Life. New York: Longmans, Green, & Co., 1912.
• He also published more than 40 articles.
• A Dubose Reader, edited by Donald S. Armentrout. Sewanee, TN: University of the South, 1984.