to converge on campus
As many as 100 descendents of the Reverend John Davenport (1597-1670), the Puritan clergyman who was a founder of New Haven, will gather at Yale Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 7 and 8, to celebrate their ancestor's legacy and visit places significant to his life.
Among the highlights of the celebration will be a keynote address by Francis Bremer, chair of the history department at Millersville University in Pennsylvania and author of "John Winthrop: America's Forgotten Founding Father." Bremer, whose specialty is 16th and 17th century American and English history, is currently researching a biography of Davenport.
Born in England to a wealthy family (his father was mayor of Coventry), Davenport was educated at Oxford and ordained an Anglican minister. Following a disagreement over religious practice, he resigned from the established church in 1633, became a Puritan and fled to Holland. In 1637 he acquired the patent for a colony in Massachusetts and sailed with much of his congregation for Boston. In March 1638 he co-founded the Colony of New Haven with his childhood friend, Theophilus Eaton, who became the colony's first governor.
In 1660, when the monarchy was restored in England, three of the English judges who had tried King Charles I and ordered his execution in 1649, fled to North America. Davenport hid Edward Whalley and William Goffe in his home for a month, and later in a cave in what is now West Rock Ridge Park. The third regicide who fled to New Haven, John Dixwell, was believed to have died and was not pursued by the British.
Davenport placed a high value on education and was the first to propose the establishment of a college in New Haven. Yale's Davenport College is named in his honor. The Yale University Art Gallery has four portraits of him in its collection. During his lifetime, he preached in Center Church, which still stands on the New Haven Green.
Members of the Davenport family are tracing their lineage through DNA testing. Information on the testing is available online at www.davenportdna.com/.
T H I S
W E E K ' SS T O R I E S
University greets its newest freshmen
Freshman Address by President Richard C. Levin
Freshman Address by Yale College Dean Peter Salovey
President of China to speak at Yale Sept. 8
New dean to promote 'values' seminars at SOM
Scientists correct key error in measurement of global warming
ENDOWED PROFESSORSHIPS
Joel Podolny named Beinecke Professor of Management
Emilie Townes is appointed to Andrew Mellon Professorship
Thomas Troeger is designated as the Cox Lantz ProfessorGrant to support research into reducing pain of pediatric surgery
Invitation to Yale community: Meet the new World Fellows
University celebrates Sterling Library's 75th anniversary
Conference will focus on role of religion in public life
Yale engages in special community projects during 'Days of Caring'
Yale hockey star Helen Resor is picked for U.S. Women's National Team
Descendents of John Davenport to converge on campus
The Cinema at Whitney, a new film society, begins weekly screenings
Heart-attack patients seeking after-hours care . . .
While You Were Away: The Summer's Top Stories Revisited
Cell biologist named Bayer Fellow
IN MEMORIAM
Abraham Goldstein, former dean and criminal law scholar
John-Michael Montias, economist and expert on Vermeer
Drama school hosts a memorial tribute to . . . Benjamin MordecaiCampus Notes
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