Calls for a biography of James DeKoven were voiced soon after his death in 1879. When he died, he was considered the best-known Episcopalian in the country. Yet twenty years later when the first, inadequate biography of DeKoven was published, he had almost been forgotten.
This new biography, researched and written by the former archivist of the DeKoven Center in Racine, Wisconsin, follows the trajectory of his life from son of a well-established merchant family in Connecticut, to his education in New York City, and then to his move in 1854 to the frontier of the young state of Wisconsin. Previously unavailable sources, including letters and memoirs, have been used to complete the historical record. Most importantly, his personal journal has been studied in detail to gain insight into his ideas concerning education, religion, and leadership.
Industry Reviews
“John Magerus’s account of the life of James DeKoven is both informative and inspirational. This beautifully written and highly accessible biography restores DeKoven to his rightful place in the history of the Episcopal Church in the United States. It will interest students of church history, the history of education in America, and those interested in the story of the development of civic and religious institutions in the Midwest.”
—Laura Gellott, professor emeritus of history, University of Wisconsin-Parkside
“Every Episcopalian should read this book—as should all interested in the early history of Chicago and southern Wisconsin. Father James DeKoven’s goodness and significance is made manifest in John Magerus’s meticulously researched and carefully written biography. He brings us into James DeKoven’s world: his well-connected Connecticut family, his education, his siblings’ contribution to the building of Chicago, and his commitment to education. Would that schools like DeKoven’s Racine College could be created today!”
—Susanne Sklar, retired academic, Oxford
“John Magerus resurrects the fascinating figure of James DeKoven. A visionary ahead of his time, DeKoven was a complex and captivating man. This long-overdue biography delves deeply into his life, revealing a man of great faith and profound human connection. A central, yet controversial, figure in the nineteenth-century Episcopal Church, DeKoven’s story is both inspiring and thought-provoking. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in American religious history.”
—Rory Graves, archivist, DeKoven Center
“Drawing on an immensity of archival research, John Magerus has given us a fresh look at James DeKoven and the world that shaped him. In a readable and engaging style, the author brings DeKoven down to earth to present and explore the more complicated and controversial parts of his character and life. This is a much-needed biography, and one that I hope will inspire more scholarship on this period of Episcopal Church history.”
—Randolph Miller, adjunct professor of European history, Carroll University
