Ernest DeWitt Burton (February 4, 1856 – May 26, 1925) was an American

biblical scholar Biblical studies is the academic application of a set of diverse disciplines to the study of the Bible, with ''Bible'' referring to the books of the canonical Hebrew Bible in mainstream Jewish usage and the Christian Bible including the can ...

who served as the third president of the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...

from 1923 to 1925.

Biography

Burton was born in

Granville, Ohio Granville is a Village (United States)#Ohio, village in Licking County, Ohio, United States. The population was 5,946 at the United States Census 2020, 2020 census. The village is located in a rural area of hills, known locally as the Welsh Hills ...

and graduated from

Denison University Denison University is a Private university, private liberal arts college in Granville, Ohio, United States. One of the earliest colleges established in the former Northwest Territory, Denison University was founded in 1831. It was first called ...

in 1876. After graduating from Rochester Theological Seminary in 1882, he studied in

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

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and

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, then taught at seminaries in Rochester and Newton (1882–1892). Burton was then appointed chief of the department of New Testament literature and interpretation at the

and in 1897 was named editor of the '' American Journal of Theology''. Burton was president of the Chicago Society of Biblical Research in 1906–1907. In 1908 he was appointed head of the Oriental Educational Investigation Commission supported by

John D. Rockefeller John Davison Rockefeller Sr. (July 8, 1839 – May 23, 1937) was an American businessman and philanthropist. He was one of the List of richest Americans in history, wealthiest Americans of all time and one of the richest people in modern hist ...

to reconnoiter the

Eastern world The Eastern world, also known as the East or historically the Orient, is an umbrella term for various cultures or social structures, nations and philosophical systems, which vary depending on the context. It most often includes Asia, the ...

as a potential site for the humanitarian projects of the nascent

Rockefeller Foundation The Rockefeller Foundation is an American private foundation and philanthropic medical research and arts funding organization based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The foundation was created by Standard Oil magnate John D. Rockefeller (" ...

. The journey lasted for more than a year. He served as the third president of the

from 1923 until his death from cancer in 1925.

Publications

Burton notably wrote with

Shailer Mathews Shailer Mathews (1863–1941) was an American liberal Christianity, liberal Christian theologian, involved with the Social Gospel movement. Career Born on May 26, 1863, in Portland, Maine, Portland, Maine, and graduated from Colby College. Mathew ...

, ''Constructive Studies in the Life of Christ'' (1901) and ''Principles and Ideals of the Sunday School'' (1903), and with J. M. P. Smith and G. B. Smith he wrote ''Biblical Ideas of Atonement'' (1909).

Works

* * * * * - Originally published under the title ''Constructive Studies in the Life of Christ'' * * * * * * * * * * - contains "The published writings of Ernest De Witt Burton": pages 153-159

References

External links

* *
Guide to the University of Chicago Office of the President, Harper, Judson and Burton Administrations Records 1869-1925
at th
University of Chicago Special Collections Research Center
1856 births 1925 deaths American academic journal editors American biblical scholars American theologians Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School alumni Denison University alumni New Testament scholars People from Granville, Ohio Presidents of the University of Chicago University of Chicago faculty {{US-academic-administrator-1850s-stub