Samuel Davies
November 3, 1723 – February 4, 1761
Pastor & College President
The greatest orator Patrick Henry ever heard — champion of religious liberty
Biography
Presbyterian minister and the fourth president of the College of New Jersey (Princeton). He was the leading figure of the Great Awakening in Virginia, where he fought for religious liberty for dissenters. He also evangelized enslaved Africans and is considered one of the greatest preachers in colonial America.
Faith & Testimony
Davies combined evangelistic fervor with intellectual rigor. He championed religious freedom in Virginia at great personal cost, arguing before the colonial government for the right of Presbyterians to worship freely. His sermons were powerful and his hymns were sung across the colonies. Patrick Henry reportedly credited Davies as the greatest orator he had ever heard.