James Dekoven: Biography of a Famous Yet Forgotten Man

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.