San Francisco County Biographies

GEORGE BURROWES, D. D.

Submitted by: Pamela Storm Wolfskill & Ron Filion

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm



San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1907

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF THE FOUNDERS AND PRINCIPAL SUPPORTERS 
OF THE SAN FRANCISCO THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY. 
 
A third name ever to be held in remembrance as that as one of the founders of 
the San Francisco Theological Seminary is the name of Rev. Dr. George Burrowes. 
He began his services as Professor of the Hebrew Language and Literature with 
the first term of the Seminary, and for almost a quarter of a century he 
continued his remarkable expositions of Scripture and in the manifestation of a 
beautiful Christina life. 
Dr. Burrowes was born April 3, 1811, at Millham, near Trenton, New Jersey.  He 
began his classical education at a school in Trenton, April, 1824, and was for a 
time a teacher at Allentown, New Jersey.  In November, 1830, he entered 
Princeton College and graduated therefrom in September, 1832.  He took the first 
honors of his class and delivered the Latin salutatory at the Commencement, and 
had also assigned to him an honorary speech in English on �The Importance of 
Mathematics in a College Course.� 
In November following he began his studies at Princeton Theological Seminary and 
graduated in 1835.  He united with the Presbyterian Church at Trenton, N.J., in 
April, 1827; was licensed to preach by the Presbytery of New Brunswick, 
February, 1835, and was ordained and installed pastor at West Nottingham, Md., 
July, 1836.  He preached here from 1835 till1850, and then went to Easton, Pa., 
as Professor of Latin and Greek in Lafayette College, which position he held for 
five years.  He was pastor at Newtown, Pa., from April, 1857, to June, 1859. 
Having been selected by the Board of Education of the Old School branch of the 
Presbyterian Church to engage in educational work in California, he left New 
York, July 5, 1859, and came by way of Panama to San Francisco, where he arrived 
July 28th. 
He found our Presbyterian Church well established here and doing good work. 
Dr. Scott was then pastor of Calvary Presbyterian Church, and was in the prime 
of life and at the height of his renown and influence.  Dr. Burrowes wrote that 
when he preached for him at night the large and beautiful audience room was 
literally packed with a congregation made up principally of �men in the vigor of 
life, all attentive and anxious to receive an instructive, orthodox gospel.� 
Dr. Scott welcomed Dr. Burrowes to the Coast most heartily, assisted him greatly 
in getting started in his educational work and ever stood by him in it. 
The object of Dr. Burrowes was to begin a work that should develop into a 
Presbyterian college.  The school was started in the basement of Calvary Church 
with four boys. 
When the first examinations were held they showed that most thorough and 
excellent work had been done, and the school began to increase rapidly, and soon 
out-grew its limited quarters.  Presbyterians realized that there was a good 
prospect of securing a school of high order.  Money was raised, a lot was 
purchased on the corner of Stockton and Geary streets, and the City College 
building was erected.  The progress was remarkable, for within one year and a 
half after the arrival of Dr. Burrowes there was established a college with 
educational facilities superior to anything in California, and with an 
attendance of one hundred and twenty students.  The work continued to prosper, 
and, looking toward the development of the college into university, a site 
containing twenty-five acres of ground in South San Francisco was donated to the 
Trustees of the City College for the purpose of establishing a college thereon, 
and $31,250 were also given with it with which to erect the buildings. 
In 1865 Dr. Burrowes� health broke down, and he was obliged to give up his work 
and return East to rest.  The City College at that time had all modern 
educational appliances, was attended by one hundred and seventy students, and 
had an income above all expenses of about $3,000 per annum.  This was the fruit 
of six years� labor on the part of Dr. Burrowes and those who joined in with 
him. 
He left San Francisco June 3, 1865, for the East, and remained there four years. 
 While there, in 1866, he was reappointed a Professor at Lafayette College, in 
the department of Religious Instruction.  His health having improved, he again 
turned his face toward California, and he arrived in San Francisco August 24, 
1869.  In the meantime, while the work was continued at the City College, a new 
college had been chartered for University Mount, and a fine Gothic building had 
been erected. 
Upon his return Dr. Burrowes was offered the Presidency of the new college, 
which he accepted.  The institution was opened for students in January, 1870, 
and soon a large number of them were in attendance.  In addition to the thorough 
work during the week, there were classes for Bible study on the Sabbath and 
preaching by Dr. Burrowes. 
He continued here for about three years with great success, but the work proved 
too laborious for him, and he resigned his position to devote his whole time to 
work in the San Francisco Theological Seminary.  One behalf of the Board of 
Trustees, ex-Governor H.H. Haight, a Presbyterian Elder, and President of the 
Board of Trustees, addressed a letter to Dr. Burrowes, eulogizing the good work 
done by him, and conveying the grateful acknowledgement of the Board therefore 
and their good wishes for his future health and happiness. 
Dr. Burrowes was elected to the chair of Hebrew Language and Literature in the 
San Francisco Theological Seminary December 4, 1871, and for about one year and 
a half filled the Professorship in connection with his work in the College. 
This was the beginning of one of the most self-denying, most important, and most 
fruitful works of his whole life.  The Seminary had no buildings, no grounds 
upon which to erect any, and no money to endow Professorships.  But those who 
undertook the work were men of ability, perseverance and faith.  The work of 
instruction was done by Rev. Drs. W.A. Scott, William Alexander, Daniel W. Poor 
and George Burrowes.  The amount received by each one from the Seminary was only 
$300 or $400 a year, and Dr. Burrowes lived on this and on that little that he 
had saved up before. 
Thus with hard work, sacrifice, love and faith, they laid foundations that made 
it possible to build up the grand institution we now have, and their example has 
stimulated others to labor and give for this most worthy School of the Prophets. 
 The infirmities of old age made it necessary for Dr. Burrowes to cease from 
labor, and in 1890 he was made Emeritus Professor and retired on a salary 
sufficient to provide for all his wants and keep him in comfort.  He continued 
with a good degree of health and strength, and occasionally preached or spoke at 
public gatherings.  On April 3, 1894, his eight-third birthday, he tripped upon 
a rug in his room, and fell of the floor and fractured the head of his thigh 
bone.  From the effects of this he died April 19th, and was buried April 21, 
1895, in Mountain View Cemetery, Oakland, Cal. 
Dr. Burrowes was twice married�in early life to Miss Helena Parker, whose 
brother, Joel Parker, was twice Governor of New Jersey.  She died November 29, 
1848.  He was married again in 1850 to Matilda M. Shadwell in Oxford, Pa. 
Dr. Burrowes was remarkable both as a scholar and teacher.  He took the first 
honors of his class at Princeton, and was a tutor in the College there while 
pursuing his theological studies in the Seminary.  He was for five years a 
Professor in Lafayette College, and also its Vice-President.  He founded and 
built up a noble collegiate institution in San Francisco, and aided in founding 
and firmly establishing the San Francisco Theological Seminary, which is now so 
well equipped for its work. 
He was a fine linguist, read the classics like his mother tongue almost, and was 
an exceedingly apt teacher.  His expositions of the Scriptures were remarkable.  
He always began his recitations with prayer, and ever strove to lead his pupils 
closer to the Savior and to have them filled with the Holy Spirit.  His students 
loved him dearly, and when they would go to visit him after being out in the 
work it was his custom always to pray with them at parting, and place his hand 
upon their heads and give them a fatherly blessing. 
He was a fine preacher also.  He stuck close to the Gospel and presented the 
truth so as to interest and instruct both old and young.  The degree of Doctor 
of Divinity was conferred upon him by Washington College, Penn., in 1853. 
He was a master of good English, wrote many articles for magazines and papers, 
and was the author of �A Commentary on the Song of Solomon,� �Octorata and Other 
Poems� and �Advanced Growth in Grace.�  His commentary on the Song has been 
pronounced the best ever written. 
He was a Christian of deep and humble piety, and had at various times all 
through his mature life remarkable religious experiences.  He attributed them to 
the presence and influence of the Holy Spirit.  After one of these experiences 
he wrote: 
�Had I stood with Moses on the top of Pisgah my soul could hardly have had such 
delightful emotions as those now felt.�  Again he wrote: �When I arise in the 
morning and come into my study, here I find Jesus already waiting for me, and I 
meet Him with delight of heart.� �I can scarcely conceive of anything more 
desirable in Heaven than merely to have these feelings made perfect, and the 
union with Jesus completed by my being brought to be with Him where He is to 
behold His glory.� 
He had a strong �desire to depart and be with Christ,� and often said that when 
the summons came he would go with unspeakable delight.  That desire was at last 
gratified, and he has gone to enjoy the Heavenly Home and loved ones there, as 
he wrote: 
�All I love 
Is gathered now in Heaven�my precious Lord, 
And friends loved well as live. 
Soon our soul 
Shall from this body burst, bright with the rays 
Of Christ our righteousness, and rise to shine 
A star amid the morning stars of Heaven.� 
 
Source:  Curry, James, D.D., History of the San Francisco Theological Seminary 
of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. and Its Alumni Association 
Reporter Publishing Company, Vacaville, California, 1907.