John Welsh Dulles

John Welsh Dulles (November 4, 1823 – April; 13, 1887) was an American Presbyterian minister and author. He was the grandfather of John Foster Dulles and Allen Welsh Dulles.

Dulles was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, November 4, 1823, the son of Joseph Heatly Dulles and Margaret (Welsh) Dulles. He graduated from Yale College in 1844. After pursuing the study of medicine in the University of Pennsylvania in 1844 and 1845, he entered the Union Theological Seminary, New York City, in January, 1846, and completed the course there in 1848. On October 2, 1848, he was ordained by the Fourth Presbytery of Philadelphia, and eight days later sailed from Boston to Madras, South India, as a missionary of the American Board of Foreign Missions. He labored among the Hindus until compelled by loss of voice to return to America, reaching Boston in March, 1853.

Unable to preach, though otherwise in good health, he entered, in November, 1853, the service of the American Sunday School Union (of which his father was one of the founders), in Philadelphia, and labored for three years as its Secretary for Missions. In 1857 he took charge of the affairs of the Presbyterian Publication Committee, as its Secretary and the Editor of its publications. This organization was connected with the then "New School" branch of the Presbyterian Church, and was consolidated with the ("Old School") Board of Publication, on the re-union of the two branches of that church in 1870. He then became Editorial Secretary of the united Board, editing its books and periodicals, and continuing in this relation until the close of his life; he acted also for a year before his death as Corresponding Secretary.

Besides countless smaller publications he was the author of two books, Life in India, and The Ride through Palestine. The degree of Doctor of Divinity was conferred on him by the College of New Jersey in 1871.

After some months of exhaustion, he was obliged to cease work in January, 1887, and he died at his home in Philadelphia, on the 13th of April, in his 64th year.

He was married, September 20, 1848, in New York City, to Harriet L., daughter of the Rev. Miron Winslow, of Madras, who died September 6, 1861, leaving six sons and one daughter. He was again married, February 2, 1865, to Nataline Baynard, of Philadelphia, by whom he had one daughter and one son. His wife died in 1876. Of his six sons who survived him, three were graduates of Princeton College, and two were ministers.

 This article incorporates public domain material from the 1887 Yale Obituary Record.