E. H. (Edwin Hubbell) Chapin

Born in New York in 1814, Edwin Hubbell Chapin became one of the best-known Universalist ministers in the United States. He was admired not just in the pulpit but also on the lecture platform, where his eloquence made him a popular public speaker during the mid-1800s.

Chapin served for many years as pastor of the Church of the Divine Paternity in New York City and also worked as editor of the Christian Leader. Alongside his ministry, he wrote widely, producing sermons, lectures, and poems that reflected his interest in faith, public life, and moral questions.

He is also remembered as a social reformer and for his literary work, especially the poem "Burial at Sea," which became linked to the famous folk song "Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie." He died in 1880, leaving behind a reputation for compassion, oratory, and a broad, accessible religious vision.