Samuel Fallows

Born in Pendleton, England, in 1835, he came to the United States with his family as a teenager and built an unusually varied career. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1859, taught and preached early on, and later served in the Union Army during the Civil War before returning to ministry and public life.

He became a prominent figure in the Reformed Episcopal Church, serving for decades as its presiding bishop. Alongside his church work, he was also active in education and civic affairs, including a term as Wisconsin's superintendent of public instruction. That mix of religious leadership, teaching, and public service helped make him a well-known Midwestern voice of his era.

He was also a notably productive author and editor, associated with reference works, lectures, sermons, and other popular writing. For listeners coming to his books now, what stands out is the breadth of experience behind them: soldier, bishop, educator, lecturer, and man of letters all in one life.