(Excerpt from Annals of the American Pulpit, Vol. 3: Or Co...)
Excerpt from Annals of the American Pulpit, Vol. 3: Or Commemorative Notices of Distinguished American Clergymen of Various Denominations, From the Early Settlement of the Country to the Close of the Year Eighteen Hundred and Fifty-Five, With Historical Introductions In the Clerk's Ofiice of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of N cw York. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
https://www.amazon.com/Annals-American-Pulpit-Vol-Commemorative/dp/1331788455?SubscriptionId=AKIAJRRWTH346WSPOAFQ&tag=prabook-20&linkCode=sp1&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=1331788455
Doak was born in August of 1749, in Augusta County, Virginia, of Scotch-Irish descent, the third son of Samuel and Jane (Mitchaell) Doak, who, in their youth, came to America from the north of Ireland. They were married in Chester County, Pennsylvania, and soon after moved to Augusta County, Virignia.
Doak worked on his father's farm until he was sixteen, when he entered a classical school conducted by Robert Alexander and later by John Brown. In order to obtain funds to continue his studies he relinquished his interest in his father's estate, and later earned additional money as assistant teacher in Brown's school. He entered Princeton in 1773, graduated in 1775, and began the study of theology under the Reverend John Blair Smith, at the same time tutoring for Mr. Smith in Prince Edward Academy (later Hampden-Sidney College).
Doak taught at Hampden-Sydney College in the spring of 1776. On October 31, 1777, he was licensed to preach by the Presbytery of Hanover. He began his preaching on the frontier in what is now Sullivan County, Tennessee, but soon moved to another settlement, to what is known as the Fork Church (New Bethel) at the fork of the Holston and Watauga rivers. After a year he moved again to a settlement on the Little Limestone, eight miles southwest of the present town of Jonesboro, Tennessee, and founded Salem Church and the school which was to become the first institution of higher learning west of the Alleghanies.
In addition to Salem Church, he assisted in organizing churches at New Bethel, Concord, New Providence, and in Carter's Valley (Pioneer Presbyterianism in Tennessee). Active in the affairs of the settlement, he was one of the delegates to the first general convention of representatives from Washington, Sullivan, and Greene counties of North Carolina to consider the formation of a separate state, which movement culminated in the State of Franklin, later a part of Tennessee. Probably his most important work, however, was as an educator. The school which Doak opened in a log cabin on his farm was, in 1783, chartered by the legislature of North Carolina as Martin Academy, named for the governor of that state. In 1795, when the region had become a territory, it was incorporated as Washington College. Its students were found in all the learned professions in the early days of Tennessee. Especially was it successful in training men for the ministry. Anticipating modern methods, in the early days the pupils were not divided into classes by years, but were allowed to complete the course as swiftly as they could. The nucleus of the college library was a gift of books received by Doak while attending a meeting of the General Assembly in Philadelphia in 1795, and which he had to carry 500 miles on horseback to the settlement.
As a teacher his chief interest was philology. Always a student, after he was sixty years old he mastered Hebrew and chemistry sufficiently to teach them. Commencement was his one gala day. In 1818 he resigned the presidency of Washington College and moved to Bethel, Tennessee, where he opened Tusculum Academy, later Tusculum College. He died at Bethel in his eighty-first year.
(Excerpt from Annals of the American Pulpit, Vol. 3: Or Co...)
One of the "old side" Presbyterians, Doak rigidly opposed any innovations in religious tenets. When a schism arose in the Abington Presbytery over the Hopkinsianism taught by one of its members, he was active in the "old side" group opposing the new teaching. his influence in furthering the Presbyterian faith was considerable.
Doak is described as a man "of powerful frame, medium stature, with a short, thick neck. His hair was sandy, his complection ruddy and his eyes blue. his demeanor was dignified, his countenance grave. His was a stentorian voice, and he was withal a striking individuality. " His preaching was original, bold, pungent, and sometimes pathetic.
Quotes from others about the person
"On that occasion he wore his antique wig, his shorts, and his old-fashioned shoes: the muscles of his stern brow were relaxed, and he gave himself up to an unusual urbanity and kindliness of manner" - J. G. M. Ramsey.
Doak married Esther H. Montgomery, a sister of Reverend John Montgomery of Virginia, by whom he had two sons and two daughters. She died, July 3, 1807. His second wife was Margaretta H. McEwen of Nashville, Tennessee. Both of his sons were ordained to the ministry, John W. succeeding him in the presidency of Washington College and Samuel W. in that of Tusculum Academy.
