Roswell Park

Park, Roswell, D.D., of the Protestant Episcopal Church, was born at Lebanon, Connecticut, Oct. 1, 1807, and educated at Union College and West Point. Previous to receiving Holy Orders he was in the army, and also held the appointment of Professor of Chemistry in the University of Pennsylvania. He was ordained in 1843, was President of Racine College, Wisconsin (1852-59), Chancellor of the same College (1858-63); and Principal of a school in Chicago from 1863 to his death. He died at Chicago, July 16, 1869. He published Sketch of West Point, 1840; Pantology, 1841; Handbook for European Travel, 1853; and Poems, 1836. His best known hymn is for Holy Communion. It begins "Jesus spreads His banner o'er us," and was published in his Poems, 1836. It is in common use in Great Britain and America. [Rev. F. M. Bird, M.A.]

-- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)