NILES
NIXDE
NILES, William Harmon, geologist, was born
in Northampton, Mass., May 18, 1838; son of
the Rev. Asa and Mary Ann (Marcy) Niles, and
grandson of Peter Niles. He attended the schools
of "VVorthington, Mass., where in 1855 he began
teaching. He prepared for his science education
at Wilbrahain, Mass., where he was with his
uncle, Oliver Marcy, LL.D., of Northwestern
university, Evanston, 111., under whose encour-
agement in 1862 he entered the Lawrence Scien-
titio school. Harvard, and was graduated, S.B.,
in 1866. For a year he was a student at the
Sheffield Scientific school, Yale, and graduated
Ph.B. in 1867. He was married in 1869 to Helen
M. Plyrapton of Cambridge, Mass. He was the
stated lecturer in natural science at the Massa-
chusetts State Teacliers' institutes, 1867-77. He
delivered public lectures upon geological and
geographical subjects, 1867-90, giving a number
of full courses at the Lowell Institute, Boston,
and at the Peabody Institute, Baltimore. He
was appointed professor of physical geology and
geography at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology in 1871. He was also made professor
of geology at the Boston university in 1875;
stated lecturer at Wellesley college, 1882-87, and
professor of geology at Wellesley, 1888. The
honorary degree of A.M. was conferred on him
by the Wesleyan university in 1870. He was
president of the Boston Society of Natural His-
tory, 1893-97; was three times px-esident of the
Appalachian Mountain club; president of the
New England Meteorological society, and was
elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts
and Sciences, a fellow of the Geological Society
of America, a member of the National Geographic
society and corresponding member of the New
York Academy of Sciences. In 1902 he was
professor and head of the department of geology
at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and
at Wellesley college, and professor of geology in
Boston university.
NILES, William Woodruff, second bishop of New Hampsliire and 96th in succession in the American episcopate, was born in Hatley, Lower Canada (now Quebec), May 24, 1832; son of Daniel Swit and Delia (Woodruff) Niles. He was graduated from Trinity college. Hartford, Conn., A.B., 1857, A.M., 1860; was a tutor there, 1857-58, and was graduated from the Berkeley Divinity school in 1861. He was ordered deacon, Maj' 22, 1861; ordained priest. May 1-4, 1862, and was in charge of St. Philip's church, Wiscasset, Maine, 1861-61. He was married, June 5, 1862, to Bertha Olmsted of Hartford, Conn.; was professor of Latin language and literature at Trinity college, 1864-70, editing the Churchman, 1866-67, and serving as rector of St. John's, Warehouse Point, Conn., 1868-70. He was elected second bishop of
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New Hampshire, as successor to Bishop Chase who
died, Jan. 18, 1870. and was consecrated. Sept. 21,
1870, at St. Paul's church. Concord, N.H., by
Bishops Smith, Williams, Neely, Bissell, Doane
and Williams of Quebec. At the time of his
consecration he was a
British subject, and
he became an Ameri-
can citizen in Decem-
ber, 1873. Trinity
conferred on him the
honorary degrees of
S.T.D. in 1870 and
LL.D. in 1896; Dart-
mouth that of D.D.
in 1879, and Bishops
college, P.Q., that of
D.C.L. in 1898. He
was made president
of the corporation of
St. Paul's school, of
Holderness school and
of St. Mary's school. Concord, N.H., a visitor of
Trinity from 1870, and a trustee from 1877. He
was also a member of the board of managers of
domestic and foreign missions; of the commis-
sion for revising the prayer-book and of tiiat to
revise the marginal readings in the Bible. He is
the author of many essays, sermons and addresses.
NINDE, William Xavier, M.E. bishop, was born
in Cortlandville. N.Y., June 21, 1832; son of the
Rev. William Ward Ninde, a well known Metho-
dist preacher. He was prepared for college at
Rome academy, graduated from the Wesleyan
university at Middletown, Conn., A.B., 1855, A.M.
1858; was a teacher in Rome academy, N.Y.,
1855-56; joined the Black River conference in
1856, and was stationed successively at Fulton,
Theresa, Adams and Rome, N.Y., 1856-60; was
transferred to the Cincinnati conference in 1861,
and ministered at Mission chapel. Union chapel
and Christian chapel; traveled in Europe and
Asia, 1868-69; was transferred to the Detroit con-
ference in 1870, and was pastor of the Central
church, Detroit, Mich., 1870-72. He was profes-
sor of practical theology at Garrett Biblical in-
stitute, Evanston, 111., 1873-76; was a delegate
to the general conference of the Methodist Epis-
copal church in 1876; was pastor of Central
church, Detroit, 1876-79; president of Garrett
Biblical institute, 1879-81; a delegate to the
Metuodist Ecumenical conference held in London
in 1881, and was elected bishop of the Methodist
Episcopal church, May 15, 1884. He was presi-
dent of the Methodist conference in China, Japan
and Korea, returning to the United States in the
spring of 1895, having visited and ministered to
the missions in the Orient for several years. The
honorary degree of D.D. was conferred on him by
