John Patterson Sampson
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John Patterson Sampson, D. D. (August 13, 1837 – 1928) also known as "J. P. Sampson", was an American abolitionist, newspaper publisher, writer, lawyer, judge, and minister.[1]
National University School of Law,
Wilberforce University
John Patterson Sampson | |
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| Born | August 13, 1837 Wilmington, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | 1928 (aged 90–91) |
| Other names | J. P. Sampson |
| Alma mater | Comer's College, National University School of Law, Wilberforce University |
| Occupations | Abolitionist, newspaper publisher, writer, lawyer, judge, minister |
Biography
John Patterson Sampson was born free on August 13, 1837 (or 1838),[2] in Wilmington, North Carolina, to parents James Drawhorn Sampson and Fanny (Kellogg) Sampson.[1][3] His grandparents were Drawhorn and Susan Sampson and Manerva (Green) Kellogg.[3] He had nine siblings: five brothers (Benjamin, Joseph, James, George and Nathan) and four sisters, Mary, Minerva, Franconia, and Susan.[2] James, who had both Scottish and African ancestry, was born a slave, and became a successful carpenter after being freed, establishing his family's prominence in the state.[2]
He graduated from Comer's College in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1856,[4] after which he taught in New York, and soon launched a newspaper, The Colored Citizen, in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Colored Citizen was oriented toward black soldiers in the American Civil War, and enjoyed strong Christian support.[5]
In 1867, Sampson was nominated by the Republicans to run for the United States Congress but after several unsuccessful bids, he stopped trying.[1] He earned a law degree from the National University School of Law in 1873,[6] followed by a D.D. degree from Wilberforce University in 1888.[1] He served in several local government offices, and then served for 40 years as a Methodist minister.[7]
He published the book Mixed Races: Their Environment, Temperament, Heredity, and Phrenology in 1881.
Patterson died in 1928.[1]
Papers of John Patterson Sampson are housed in the Schomburg Center, General Research Collection, of the New York Public Library.[1]
