author
Charles Henry Fowler
1837–1908
A forceful Methodist leader and educator, he moved from frontier preaching to national influence as a bishop, university president, and advocate for church-backed education. His life linked the pulpit, the classroom, and the missionary movement of the late 19th century.
1 Audiobook
Historical Romance of the American Negro
by Charles Henry Fowler
About the author
Born in Burford, Ontario, on August 11, 1837, he moved with his family to Illinois as a child and was educated at Methodist schools including the Genesee Wesleyan Seminary and Garrett Biblical Institute. He entered the Methodist Episcopal ministry in the early 1860s and became known as an energetic preacher and church leader.
After serving Chicago congregations, he was chosen as the fourth president of Northwestern University, leading the school from 1872 to 1876. In 1884 he was elected a bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, a role that gave him a wider platform in church administration, missions, and education.
He is remembered for combining religious leadership with institution-building. Accounts of his later career credit him with supporting Methodist educational work in the United States and abroad, including efforts connected with universities in China. He died on March 20, 1908.