Cumberland County, Maine – Rev. Harrison Spofford Whitman
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Biography
Rev. Harrison Spofford Whitman
Biographical Review
Cumberland County, Maine
Boston
Biographical Review Publishing Company
1896
Page 29



Rev. Harrison Spofford Whitman, President of Westbrook Seminary, which under his
able management has entered on a new era of usefulness and prosperity, has been
a resident of Deering since 1892. He was born February 5, 1844, in Woodstock,
Me., son of Harrison and Delphina (Perham) Whitman. His great-grandfather, Jacob
Whitman, was a patriot soldier of the Revolutionary War.

Harrison Whitman was a native of Woodstock, and received his education in the
common schools of that town. He remained with his parents on the farm, and
throughout the active period of his life was engaged in agriculture. At the time
of the Aroostook War he was made Captain of a company of infantry organized to
take part in that contest. His wife, whose maiden name was Delphina Perham, was
born in Woodstock. They had a family of four children, three of whom are now
living, namely: George Washington, residing in Norway, Me.; Angela, the wife of
Rufus Farrar; and Harrison Spofford, the leading subject of the present sketch.

Harrison S. Whitman was first an attendant of the public schools of Woodstock,
later of the Norway Liberal Institute; and in 1864 he entered Bowdoin College,
from which he was graduated with honor in the class of 1869, being among the
foremost in scholarship. Immediately after leaving college he accepted a
position as principal of the high school at Thomaston, Me.; and two years later
he went to Dean Academy in Franklin, Mass., where for a year and a half he was
Professor of Latin and Greek. In 1874 he entered the Divinity School of Tufts
College, near Boston, Mass., for a three years' course; and shortly after
completing his studies there he was ordained as pastor of the Mechanic Falls
Universalist Church. During the six years that he had charge of that church its
membership was largely increased, and provision was made for the payment of a
heavy debt that had been incurred. On leaving Mechanic Falls he accepted a call
to the Universalist church in Dexter, Me., where he ministered faithfully for
three and a half years. He was installed as pastor of the Winthrop Street
Universalist Church in Augusta in 1886, and was closely identified with its work
and interests until 1890, when he accepted the position of State Missionary. The
two years of his incumbency were characterized by able service, among his labors
being the raising of a permanent missionary fund of ten thousand dollars.

In 1892 Mr. Whitman entered his present position as President of Westbrook
Seminary. Since he took charge of this institution its attendance has increased
about forty percent. He has also strengthened the corps of teachers, and
advanced the grade of scholarship. The sum of twenty-five hundred dollars, which
has been received from the alumni, has been used in making various needed
repairs and alterations; and at the present time he is interested in a movement
to raise ten thousand dollars to be added to the endowment fund of the seminary.

On June 5, 1879, the Rev. Harrison S. Whitman was joined in marriage with Miss
Susan Frances Warren, who is a lady of superior ability and attainments, a
daughter of Chadbourne Warren, of Great Falls, N.H.

When in Dexter, Mr. Whitman served as Supervisor of Schools; and he was
Secretary of the Maine State Universalist Convention for four or five years
before he became the State Missionary. He is a member of the Masonic Lodge of
Mechanic Falls and of Asylum Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows of Augusta.