History Meme

It seems that all memes die with me, so if you want to do this meme, count yourself as one of the seven.

I always have been interested in social history, so I've never been obsessed with one particular historical figure (such as Ben Franklin) as others I know have been. I was going to do my history meme on a geologist, but I just had a better idea.

Link to the person who tagged you. (that would be Derek of Haligweorc
List 7 random/weird things about your favorite historical figure.

The historical figure I'm going to choose is William Smith (not the geologist...common name):

1. William Smith was hired as the first provost of the College of Philadelphia (now the University of Pennsylvania.) His major qualifications were an essay he had written on education amd a degree from the University of Aberdeen. Only the former really mattered to Ben Franklin, who essentially hired him. But this was a good thing, because he was not a graduate of the University of Aberdeen. Talk about lying on your resume.

2. Though this theory probably appears nowhere in the historical literature, I'm fairly sure that William Smith left Aberdeen without a degree after four years, because he was an Episcopalian and was thereby disqualified from teaching school or being ordained according to the penal legislation that went into force after the '45. Oddly enough, many of his new bosses (Trustees) were Presbyterians.

3. In America, Smith did not stay out of trouble with the law and was imprisoned in 1758 for seditious libel. He lectured students from his jail cell.

4. Smith preached the inaugural sermon of St. Peter's, Third and Pine, in Philadelphia. Utterly insignificant to you, but I was baptized there.

5. Smith founded Washington College in Chestertown, MD and St. John's College, Annapolis as part of the original University of Maryland.

6. Smith was elected the first Bishop of Maryland but was not confirmed by General Convention because he was (sadly) a rather notorious alcoholic.

7. Given #1 and #2 (ironically enough), it's even more surprising that Smith received an honorary S.T.D. degree from the University of Aberdeen in 1759.