To Archives

Francis Alison

⬩
Biographical sketches of early American Presbyterian ministers (e.g., Francis Alison, David Cowell), covering ministry, education, synodal disputes (Old Side–New Side), and college efforts.
Archive ⬩ Church History, Autobiography, and Biography, Colonial Presbyterian History, Old Side-New Side Division
Download Print

Francis Alison, D.D. (1705–1779) was an influential Irish-born Presbyterian minister, educator, and scholar who arrived in Pennsylvania in the mid-1730s, was ordained in 1737, and founded a classical academy that became a key training ground for future leaders of church and state in colonial America. He served as Vice-Provost and Professor of Moral Philosophy at the College of Philadelphia (now University of Pennsylvania), was a central figure in the Old Side of the Presbyterian Church during the Great Awakening controversy, and preached the sermon at the reunion of the Old and New Side synods in 1758. Alison was known as one of the greatest classical scholars in the colonies, helped establish the Widows’ Fund and other church institutions, and freed his slaves in his will upon his death in 1779.

Confessional Intelligence

Search through theological documents with AI-powered semantic search.

Try:

    • Cart

    Your cart is empty.

    Shop