Samuel Doak was born on August 1749 in Augusta County, Virginia, United States. He was of Scotch-Irish descent, the third son of Samuel and Jane (Mitch- aell) 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, Virginia. He worked on his father’s farm until he was sixteen.
Doak 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 Rev. John Blair Smith, at the same time tutoring for Mr. Smith in Prince Edward Academy (later Hampden-Sidney College). On October 31, 1777 he was licensed to preach by the Presbytery of Hanover.
Doak 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. The founding of Salem Church is said to have come about in the following way; Riding through the woods, seeking a frontier settlement where his services might be of use, his only baggage a sack full of books, he came upon some men felling trees. When they learned that he was a clergyman they asked him to preach for them and his preaching pleased them so much that they asked him to remain.
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 he 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 1791 when the region had become a territory, it was incorporated as Washington College. “For many years it was the only, and for still more, the principal seat of classical education for the western country” (Ramsey, post). 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.
One of the “old side” Presbyterians, Samuel 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.
Doak is described as a man “of powerful frame, medium stature, with a short, thick neck. His hair was sandy, his com- plection 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
“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”.
Doak married Esther H. Montgomery, a sister of Reverend John Montgomery of Virginia, by whom he had two sons and two daughters. She died on 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.
