William Aikman

Born in New York City on August 12, 1824, William Aikman was educated at the University of the City of New York and then attended Union Theological Seminary. He became a Presbyterian minister and writer, building a career that joined pastoral work with a steady stream of essays and books.

He served a number of churches, including Hanover Street Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, Delaware, where he was pastor from June 2, 1857, for eleven years. During the Civil War era he preached and wrote on questions of law, government, and national duty, and he later served in Atlantic City, New Jersey. He was also moderator of the synod of Pennsylvania in 1863, received a Doctor of Divinity degree in 1869, and was a trustee of Wells College from 1878 to 1882.

Aikman wrote across a wide range of subjects. His books include Our Country, Strong in Her Isolation, The Future of the Colored Race in America, Government and Administration, Life at Home, The Altar in the House, Heavenly Recognitions, and Talks on Married Life. He died on January 1, 1909. His writing is especially interesting today because it shows how one religious thinker tried to make sense of home, church, and national life in a deeply unsettled century.