Alfred Constantine Barry (July 15, 1815March 5, 1888) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

educator, politician, and Universalist minister. He was Wisconsin's 4th

Superintendent of Public Instruction A state education agency or state department of education is the state-level government organization within each U.S. state or U.S. territory, territory responsible for education, including providing information, resources, and technical assistan ...

and served one term in the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Assembly is controlled by the Republican ...

, representing

Kenosha County Kenosha County () is located in the southeastern corner of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 169,151, and was estimated to be 168,754 in 2024, making it the eighth-most populous county in Wisconsin. Its co ...

. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

he served as a Union Army

chaplain A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secular institution (such as a hospital, prison, military unit, intellige ...

and recruiter.

Biography

A. Constantine Barry was born at

Walton, New York Walton is a town in Delaware County, New York, United States. The population was 5,270 at the 2020 census. The town is in the west-central part of the county and contains the village of Walton. The town claims to be the " Scarecrow Capital of ...

, and moved with his parents to

Victor, New York Victor is an incorporated town in Ontario County, New York, United States. The population was 15,969 at the time of the 2020 census. The town is named after Claudius Victor Boughton, an American hero of the War of 1812. The Town of Victor con ...

, when he was a child. He was raised there and educated by private tutors. He was ordained a Universalist minister in 1836 and pastored for ten years at various locations around New York before bringing his ministry to

Racine Jean-Baptiste Racine ( , ; ; 22 December 1639 – 21 April 1699) was a French dramatist, one of the three great playwrights of 17th-century France, along with Molière and Corneille, as well as an important literary figure in the Western tra ...

Wisconsin Territory The Territory of Wisconsin was an organized and incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 3, 1836, until May 29, 1848, when an eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Wisconsin. Belm ...

, in 1846. In Racine, he started a temperance magazine, the ''Old Oaken Bucket'', and became involved in local education matters, serving as the first supervisor of the public schools in Racine from 1849 through 1853. In June 1855, he was appointed

Superintendent of Public Instruction of Wisconsin The superintendent of public instruction, sometimes referred to as the state superintendent of schools, is a constitutional officer within the executive branch of the Wisconsin state government and head of the Department of Public Instruction.W ...

by Governor William A. Barstow, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Hiram A. Wright. Later that year, he went on to win a full term as Superintendent in the Fall general election. He did not run for re-election in 1857. He was an advocate of the educational theories of

Horace Mann Horace Mann (May 4, 1796August 2, 1859) was an American educational reformer, slavery abolitionist and Whig Party (United States), Whig politician known for his commitment to promoting public education, he is thus also known as ''The Father of A ...

, and supported the creation of district normal schools and teacher's institutes, and the consolidation of school districts. He was a member of the Democratic Party and was a guest at the

inauguration of James Buchanan The inauguration of James Buchanan as the 15th president of the United States was held on Wednesday, March 4, 1857, at the East Portico of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. This was the 18th inauguration and marked the commencement o ...

in 1857. During his visit to

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, he was one of several dozen guests stricken by the "

National Hotel disease The National Hotel epidemic was a mysterious sickness that began to afflict persons who stayed at the National Hotel (Washington, D.C.), National Hotel in Washington, D.C., in early January 1857."The Washington Epidemic", ''New York Daily Times'' ...

"—which some suspected was an attempted poisoning—and suffered from after-effects of the disease for the rest of his life. At the outbreak of the

, he volunteered for service in the Union Army and was enrolled as chaplain of the 4th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment, serving one year in that role. On his return to Wisconsin, he served on the local recruiting board. In the 1863 general election, he was elected to the

, representing

in the 17th Wisconsin Legislature. In April 1864, after the end of the legislative session, he returned to active duty as chaplain for the 19th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment, and served ten months with that regiment before receiving an appointment from President

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

to serve as chaplain of the United States Hospitals. He mustered out of federal service in August 1865. After the war, Barry and his family resided at

Fond du Lac, Wisconsin Fond du Lac () is a city in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. It is located at the southern end of Lake Winnebago and had a population of 44,678 at the 2020 census. The city forms the core of the Fond du Lac met ...

, for four years, then moved to

Elkhorn, Wisconsin Elkhorn is a city in Walworth County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. It is located southwest of Milwaukee. As of the 2020 census, it was home to 10,247 people, up from 10,084 at the 2010 census. History In 1836, Colonel Samuel ...

, where he established a church. He finally moved to

Lodi, Wisconsin Lodi ( ) is a city in Columbia County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 3,189 at the 2020 census. Lodi is part of the Madison metropolitan area. History The scenic Town of Lodi area had long been a home of Native Americans before ...

, in 1878, where he resided for the rest of his life. He died at his home in Lodi on March 5, 1888.'Badgers Saints and Sinners,' Fred L. Holmes, E. M. Hale and Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin: 1939, pg. 209-211

Electoral history

Wisconsin Superintendent (1855)

, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, November 6, 1855

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Barry, A. Constantine People from Walton, New York People from Racine, Wisconsin Clergy of the Universalist Church of America Educators from Wisconsin People of Wisconsin in the American Civil War Members of the Wisconsin State Assembly 1815 births 1888 deaths Superintendents of public instruction of Wisconsin Educators from New York (state) 19th-century American educators 19th-century American clergy 19th-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature