George Henry Atkinson was an American missionary and educator in Oregon, United States.
Background
George Atkinson was born on May 10, 1819 in Newburyport to William and Anna "Little" Atkinson. They moved to Newbury, Vermont, in 1830.
Atkinson came from an influential Massachusetts family that was involved in shipping, insurance, and land development. His grandfather, Col. Moses Little, commanded 460 troops at the Battle of Bunker Hill and was a Surveyor of the King's Woods. He also acquired substantial amounts of property in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. George's great-grandfather, Amos Atkinson, owned and operated several commercial sailing ships out of Newburyport, Massachusetts.
Education
Atkinson attended Bradford Academy and Newbury Academies, then he moved to Hanover, New Hampshire. There he attended Dartmouth College where he graduated in 1843. Atkinson then received religious training at the Andover Theological Seminary, graduating in 1846.
Career
In the winter of 1847-1848 he sailed from Boston "around the Horn" as a representative to the Pacific Northwest of the American Home Missionary Society, an organ of the Congregational churches. Settling in Oregon City, he organized one of the first Congregational churches in Oregon and continued as its pastor for fifteen years. He then became pastor of the First Congregational Church of Portland, remaining till 1872.
In Oregon City, Atkinson served as pastor of the First Congregational Church of Oregon City from 1848 until 1865, the last two years on a part-time basis after moving to Portland in 1863.
In September 1848, Atkinson called the meeting that established the board of trustees of Tualatin Academy (today’s Pacific University in Forest Grove). He served as secretary of the trustees for the rest of his life. He also helped to start academies and seminaries in Oregon City and in Steilacoom and Cheney, Washington.
The Home Missionary Society, concerned about the development of academies and colleges, gave him encouragement toward their establishment. The Society also provided him with an equipment of school books valued at $2, 000, which he brought with him to Oregon.
He promptly started a school for girls at Oregon City and, learning about the beginnings of academic instruction already made at Forest Grove, he at once joined in organizing Tualatin Academy which grew into Pacific University, of which Atkinson was a life-long trustee and a powerful supporter.
When Gov. Joseph Lane arrived at Oregon City to set up the territorial government in March 1849, Atkinson impressed upon him the need of a general system of public schools. He drafted the section of the governor's first message on that subject, advocating the Massachusetts system, with some modifications. The framework of that system was ultimately provided for Oregon. Development was retarded by circumstances, but the state was permanently benefited by the educational ideas which Atkinson injected during the formative period.
He was minister of the First Congregational Church of Portland from 1863 through 1872. Beginning in 1873, he was the general missionary (a position later changed to mission superintendent) for Congregational churches in Oregon and Washington. In 1886, Washington gained its own mission superintendent, while Atkinson continued to serve Oregon. The number of Congregational churches in Oregon and Washington increased from two at the time of his arrival to 110 at the time of his death.
Atkinson was the first school commissioner of Clackamas County. During his years as pastor of the Portland church, he served three two-year terms as school superintendent of Multnomah County. He wrote frequent columns in the Oregonian, making recommendations to the thirty-one local school boards regarding school buildings, furniture, curricula, staffing, employment policies, textbooks, examinations, and playground management.
He also served as an Oregon penitentiary commissioner. In 1865, he visited prisons in seven states, from Maine to California, submitting a report on his findings to the Oregon legislature. In 1880, Atkinson led the response to Oregonian editor Harvey W. Scott's vigorous criticism of Portland's public schools.
After 1880, he led the process in which Whitman Seminary in Walla Walla, Washington, became Whitman College.
Atkinson made eight visits to New England during his forty years in Oregon, the first in 1852 and the last in 1887. He spoke in churches and schools on behalf of Oregon schools, raising money and recruiting teachers and missionaries. He also addressed business groups on the economic potential of Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. He visited Puget Sound in 1859 and Alaska in 1884, making both trips on behalf of the American Home Missionary Society.
Achievements
Atkinson helped found Pacific University, and pushed for legislation to create a public school system in Oregon Territory.
Religion
Atkinson was strictly orthodox, but his nature was so generous that he was able to live on terms of close friendship with men of all shades of belief.
Personality
Atkinson has been described as the ideal "booster, " because he was wholly unselfish, his opinions were based on careful research, and he favored no particular localities as against others.
He was a natural enthusiast. Eager interest, a fine presence, and splendid voice coupled with knowledge of the subjects he discussed, cooperated to render his advocacy successful. He was a community builder after the grand manner.
His sermons were usually carefully prepared written discourses, delivered in conversational tone. His lectures were apt to be more charged with imagination and more rhetorical. But whether in the pulpit, on the rostrum, in convention hall or parlor, he was always impressive, persuasive, and usually convincing.
Interests
Meteorology, gardening, agriculture
Connections
George Atkinson was married to Nancy Bates Atkinson, they had 5 children.
Father:
William Atkinson
Mother:
Anna "Little" Atkinson
Spouse:
Nancy Bates Atkinson
Daughter:
Sarah Frances Atkinson
Daughter:
Anna Atkinson Warren
She was the wife of Frank M. Warren, who lost his life in the sinking of the Titanic.
Daughter:
Martha Wheeler Shaw
She was an adopted child. Married Roswell Wilcox Shaw in 1860 in Oregon.
