Draft:James Strong Moffatt

Rev. Dr. James Strong (J.S) Moffatt, D.D. (July 17, 1860 - January 25, 1922) was a Presbyterian minister who served as the President of Erskine College from 1907 to 1921.

Early Life and Family

Moffatt was born on July 17, 1860 in Fulton County, Arkansas to Rev. William S. (1832-1899) and Martha (née Wilson, 1838-1887) Moffatt. James was named for his grandfather of the same name (1808-1890), who was a pioneer of Troy, Tennessee and a businessman. Moffatt's business in Troy was destroyed in the Civil War, but reopened soon after James Strong Moffatt was the first cousin, twice removed of William Gaston. JS's maternal grandfather, Rev. John Wilson, the son of an Irish immigrant, was a traveling preacher. James's maternal Grandmother, Eliza Hemphill, was the sister of John Hemphill and the aunt (via a different brother) of J.C. Hemphill. James moved to Belmont County, Ohio sometime in his formative years.

Education and Career

James was given his elementary education by his mother, before attending various schools in Ohio. He then enrolled at Erskine in 1879, before attending Muskingum College, graduating in 1883. He then attended United Presbyterian Seminary for three years.

James moved to Charlotte in April of 1886, where he preached. He married Jennie Grier (1865-1945), who would later be a long-time professor at Due West Female College, in November of that year. Jennie was the daughter of W.M. Grier (1848-1899), the President of Erskine College from 1871 to 1899. Jennie's grandfather, Robert Grier (1817-1871), was the second president of the college. Jennie's great-grandfather, Rev. Isaac Grier (1776-1845), was the first Presbyterian Minister to be born in the state of Georgia.

James moved to Chester, South Carolina in 1887 and was installed as a pastor there. He stayed in Chester until his appointment as President of Erskine College in 1907. In 1905, he was given an Doctorate in Divinity by Cooper Memorial College (now Sterling). James became President of Erskine in January of 1907, a position he kept until 1921.

Personal Life and Death

James had nine children with his wife, Jennie. Those children were;

• Julia McMorries Moffatt Donald (March 20, 1889 - March 23, 1939)
• Dr. James Strong Moffatt Jr, PhD (July 17, 1891 - February 1969) Graduated from Erskine in 1911, went on to earn an A.M. from Princeton in 1914 and his PhD from the University of North Carolina in 1919. He then was an English Professor at Washington and Lee University from 1920 until 1956.
• William Grier Moffatt (May 6, 1893 - February 19, 1940)
• Martha Wylie Moffatt Parkinson (October 5, 1896 - January 13, 2002) Married Rev. William W. Parkison. Her son, Dr. Tom Parkinson, PhD, was a Professor at Virginia Tech from 1975 to 1990
• Dr. Lucius Gaston (L.G.) Moffatt, PhD (March 14, 1899 - June 8, 1971) Graduate of Erskine College. L.G. was an author and a professor in Alicante, Spain.
• Jean Hemphill Moffatt (October 8, 1901 - March 16, 1956)
• Mary Agnes Moffatt Williams (September 22, 1904 - August 13, 1988) Graduated Due West Female College in 1925. Mary was a Cellist and singer. She married J. Beatty Williams. Her son, Dr. Grier Williams, PhD (1931-2004), was a music professor at Southeastern Lousiana, Davidson, and UWF.
• Dr. Nancy McMorries Moffatt Linton, D.D. (January 25, 1908 - September 3, 1999) Graduated from Due West Female College with a Doctorate in Divinity.
• Dorothy Moffatt (1911 - ?) Graduated from Erskine College. She never Married

James died on January 25, 1922 in Columbia, South Carolina. He was 61 years old.