Rev. G.T. Washburn retired and Returned to US: Rev Dr. G.T Washburn served as the Principal of the Mission College at Pasumalai from1881 to 1899. with great distinction and vision. He was succeeded by Rev W.M. Zumbro as the Principal. During Rev W, M. Zumbro's principalship the epoch-making shifting of the Mission College from Pasumalai to Madura was done. Rev. Dr. G.T Washburn on 30th March 1900 left India owing to old age and returned to US with his family and settled in Meriden city in New Haven County, Connecticut State, U.S It will be useful to the readers to know a fact that the world famous Yale University is located in New Haven, Even after having settled in Meriden his heart was revolving and evolving around Pasumalai and American Madura Mission and by having letter correspondences with his, students, friends and colleagues in India, Rev. Dr. Washburn was updating his mind with the day-to-day development history of the Institutions and congregations he established in Pasumalai and in other places in Madura District.
Rev. Dr. Washburn, D.D
Mrs. Elisa Case Washburn Died: Mrs Elisa Case Washburn was born, Gloversville New York, on the 27th of September 1833 and died at Meriden, on the 23rd of July 1914. From 1866 to 1877 she was in charge of the reopened boarding schools. in Madurai district. During the great famine years from 1877 to 1896, she had the oversight and care of an orphanage. She was indeed a mother to the large and growing family of boys who gathered year after year in the Pasumalai School. Her death affected Dr. Washburn so much and he said, " Her spirit lingers in these rooms with me, and her ministering presence does not leave me".
Rev. William Washburn Died in Meriden and Buried in Lenox: Rev Dr. G.T. Washburn who had lived ever close to his eternal Master and had obeyed his Lord's each call, also obeyed the last call of his beloved Master with hope Rev. Dr. George Thomas Washburn died at Meriden, New Haven, Connecticut, USA, on the 20th of March [ Sunday] 1927 in the 95th year of his age. His funeral service was held in a simple manner at an undertaker's establishment in Meriden. Dr. and Mrs Banninga of Pasumalai and Rev. and Mrs C.S. Vaughan of Madura American Mission, who were then on furlough in US attended the funeral Service of Dr. Washburn at Meriden. In the funeral service Dr. Lord gave the funeral sermon and also spoke about the educational contribution of Dr Washburn. Then Washburn's body was taken to his native place and buried at Lenox Both the Meriden and Hartford News Papers published a short account of Dr. Washurn's meaningful life.
Conclusion: Rev. Dr. G.T. Washburn was a great man of God, an outstanding Educational Missionary, voracious reader and intellectual. In 1889 his Alma mater Williams College, U.S. honoured Rev. G.T Washburn by awarding an honorary Doctorate degree D.D, to him. In 1897 Dr. G.T. Washburn was made a Fellow of the Madras University by the then Government. It will be appropriate to revisit the historic and holistic tribute published in the famous "The Christian Patriot" on the retirement of Dr. G.T. Washburn.
"The Christian Patriot," Madras of May 25th, 1900, wrote a leading Article on The Retirement of Rev. Dr. Washburn and Mrs Washburn of Pasumalai: " After a distinguished and devoted service of 40 years in the Missionary cause the Rev. and Mrs. WASHBURN of Pasumalai have resigned their work to procced to America, their own native land, to spend the evening of their lives in retirement The work that these deserved servants of God have accomplished in this land has been generally blessed, and many are the channels of elevating influences that have flown from their quiet, faithful labours, during the long period of time they have spent in this land. Always of a retiring disposition, with pronounced views on many things of his own, Dr. WASHBURN and his partner have been toiling at Pasumalai, not caring in the least for any human recognition or courting public notice. And what a splendid, many sided work they have accomplished to be sure |. In a touching address presented by the teachers and students of the Pasumalai College and others allusion is made to some of the fruits of their labours. Dr. Washburn in all his labours, never forgot that he was first and foremost a missionary. He mastered the Tamil language and its subtleties and some of his writings in Tamil are to be met with in every Indian Christian home. Here is a touching bit from the address:- " As a missionary you have followed the Master in serving others, not desiring to be served. We remember instances in which you have ministered to the sick personally and humbly. You have been a living example of the Apostle's definition of "pure religion and undefiled"- to visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction and to keep himself unspotted from the world". We can merely allude to the orphans whom you have served from the terrible famine of 1876 and 1877, whom you have judiciously trained and who are now occupying positions of usefulness and trust in this Mission and elsewhere". Dr. Washburn besides spending his strength on the mission has chosen to spend his riches also. The Southfold Hostel, the spacious Washburn Hostel, the Laura Blossom Library, the Lenox Science Room, the Case Dining hall and the Yokan Lodge are all lasting monuments of his princely munificence".
" From the very Commencement of Dr. Washburn has been a true friend of education and his efforts in the direction of educating the Native Christians of his Mission have been highly beneficial. The benefits of the Pasumalai Training College are not confined to the American Madura mission alone, they have extended to the surrounding district as well. Even the Government of Madras recognised the services that Dr. Washburn had rendered to the cause of higher education by honouring him with a Fellowship in the University."
"Above everything else the memory of these devoted workers will be enshrined in the hearts of hundreds of Christian men and women, whose lives have been elevated and refined by the influences brought to bear upon them by these revered servants of God. For generations to come the stream of elevating Christian influences they have set going will go on fertilising the Indian Church and helping to bring forth much fruit. We have often in our columns referred to the indebtedness of India to America, and here we have yet another instance of the strong link forged between these two countries. The prayers and blessings of many hundreds of Indian Christians follow Dr and Mrs Washburn in their retirement, after their noble and many sided work for their Lord and Master in this land;"[ The Christian Patriot, Madras, 25th of May 1900].
It is not possible to accommodate all the important chapters and accomplishments of Dr Washburn within the space of this Blogpost and so I will end this Blogpost with the following sentence, " Dear and respected Dr. G.T. Washburn, we thank God for your meaningful life and proud of you"
END
By P. BABU MANOHARAN, M.A, [ All rights are reserved. This Blogpost will be enlarged, modified or corrected later if needed].
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