Jefferson-Sumter-Calhoun County AlArchives Biographies.....Eason, James Henry 1866 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/al/alfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 September 16, 2008, 12:03 am Author: Clement Richardson, Editor JAMES HENRY EASON, D. D. DR. James Henry Eason, the pastor of the very select congregation of the Jackson Street Baptist Church, Birmingham, Ala., is an ideal product of his state. He was born October 24, 1866 to Channie Bingham Eason and Jesse Bigham. Born, reared and for the most part educated in Alabama, he has turned all his time and his talent—has brought his vision to pass in the state of his birth. He was born in Sumpterville, Sumpter County. Gaining all he could in the Sumpterville public school he entered Selma University and after graduation from Selma Dr. Eason took his course in theological training at Virginia Union University, Richmond, Va., receiving the degree of D. D. On finishing his studies he immediately returned to Alabama to give account of his education. Although he earned his way, he felt that he owed a great debt to the people of his state. In 1884 he began teaching school in Gadsden. He taught one year in Garfield Academy at Auburn, Ala., and seven years in Selma University. In the meantime he had been appointed state Missionary for Alabama by the Home Missionary Society of New York. In this office, he served several years. The year 1891 saw the formal beginning of Dr. Eason's career as a pastor. In this year he accepted the pastorate of the Union Baptist Church at Marion, Ala. Here he became moderator of the new Cahaba Association. From Marion Mr. Eason went to Anniston. Here he really began to assert himself as a minister and as a community builder. When he accepted the pastorate of the Eleventh Street Baptist Church in Anniston, there were eighty-five members of the congregation. This body was then known as the Galilee Church. Dr. Eason held his post here for fifteen years. In that time he increased the membership from eighty-five to seven hundred and put up a new building which cost $25,000.00. While building this church in Anniston, he noticed that comparatively few colored people owned homes. To aid the people in securing homes, he organized the Mercantile Investment Company, whose efforts have resulted in hundreds of colored people owning their homes in this city. His name now spreads abroad as a worker and a man of exceptional gifts and rare industry. He was for ten years Editor of the Baptist Leader; the official organ of 280,000 Alabama Baptists. He edited and published the Union Leader of Anniston Alabama for five years; meanwhile he had written and published a book entitled, Sanctification versus Fanaticism, which was the first book published by the National Baptist Board, and had written articles and historical sketches for the magazines. Thus asserting himself, he became a candidate for many honors. Guadaloupe College, Texas, and Benedict College, S. C., each honored him with the degree of Doctor of Divinity. He was given the presidency of the Colored Baptist State Convention which he held ten years, resigning in 1916. For seven years he was vice president of the National Baptist Convention. Selma University elected him a member of the Board of Trustees and for one year he carried the presidency of the Anniston Industrial College. June 11th, 1917, Dr. Eason was elected president of Birmingham Baptist College, Birmingham, Alabama. He was a delegate to the World's Missionary Conference, which met a few years ago in Edinburgh, Scotland. He preached in Scotland and traveled extensively in Scotland, in England, in Belgium and in France. For several years now Dr. Eason has been pastor of the Jackson Street Baptist church in Birmingham, where he has put in many improvements. He takes great interest in the business life of the Negro in Birmingham just as he did in Anniston. He was a director of the Alabama Penny Savings Bank in its early days and a depositor in it to the last. He is himself a property owner, owning his home and other real estate which are valued at $5,000. Dr. Eason was married in 1894 to Miss Phoebe A. Kigh of Selma, Ala. Of three children born into the Eason home, only one, Miss Gladys is living. She is married to Mr. Edward A. Trammell. Little Phoebe Mae Trammlll is Dr. Eason's only grandchild Additional Comments: Extracted from: The National Cyclopedia of The Colored Race Editor-in-Chief CLEMENT RICHARDSON President of Lincoln Institute Jefferson City, Mo. ASSOCIATE EDITORS Dr. C. V. ROMAN, Nashville, Tenn. Professor of Meharry Medical College. W. T. B. WILLIAMS, Hampton Institute, Va. Field Agent of the Jeannes and Slater Funds. H. M. MINTON, M. D., Philadelphia, Pa. Board of Directors Mercy Hospital. SILAS X. FLOYD, Augusta, Ga. Principal of City Schools. DR. R. E. JONES, New Orleans, La. Editor of South Western Christian Advocate. DR. A. F. OWENS, Selma, Ala. Dean of Theological Dept. Selma university. FRED MOORE, New York City. Editor New York Age. ADVISORY BOARD EMMETT J. SCOTT, Chairman, Secretary of Tuskegee Institute, Tuskegee Institute, Ala. N. B. YOUNG, Tallahassee, Fla. President of A. and M. College. DR. J. W. E. BOWEN, Atlanta, Ga. Dean of Gammon Theological Seminary. J. R. E. LEE, Kansas City, Mo. Principal of Lincoln High School. J. S. CLARK, Baton Route, La. President of Southern University. DR. M. W. DOGAN, Marshall, Texas. President of Wiley University. Volume One NATIONAL PUBLISHING COMPANY, Inc. PUBLISHERS MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA 1919 COPYRIGHT 1919 NATIONAL PUBLISHING CO., Inc. MONTGOMERY, ALA. Photo: http://www.usgwarchives.net/al/jefferson/photos/bios/eason56nbs.jpg File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/jefferson/bios/eason56nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/alfiles/ File size: 6.1 Kb