Adjutant Samuel Hedding Deneen
Adjutant Samuel Hedding Deneen was born near Belleville, Illinois on Dec. 20, 1835. He was
a son of Rev. William L. Deneen, who was a member of the Illinois Conference and one
of the pioneer Methodist preachers. His mother was Miss Verlinder Beall Moore before
her marriage.
He entered McKendree in the fall of 1850 and graduated in July 1854, receiving the degree of A.B., and later, A.M. In 1876, he received the degree of Doctor of Philosophy from the Indiana Asbury University (now DePauw). He was a member of the Philosophian Literary Society. After graduation, he taught school and studied Latin for one year. For three years he was a classical tutor in McKendree; then from 1858 to 1862, he was adjunct professor of Ancient Language; and in 1862, he was elected professor of Latin.
In August, 1862, he enlisted in the U.S. army and served as Adjutant of the 117th until Nov. 23, 1864, when he was granted an honorable discharge on account of ill health. He then resumed his duties in the college, where he taught Latin and History continuously until 1886, when he abandoned work of the classroom on account of failing health. In 1890, he was appointed by President Harrison to the position of United States Consul at Belleville, Ontario, a post he held until 1893 when he resigned to go into business in Chicago, Illinois. He died on April 13, 1895. He was married in 1859 to Mary F. Ashley, a daughter of Hiram K. Ashley, who was one of the early trustees of McKendree, and secretary of the Board from 1843 to 1846. All three of their children graduated from McKendree.
Photo and excerpt from:
Guandolo, Joseph, ed. Centennial McKendree College with St. Clair County History. 1928.
