Methodist missionary and clergyman, b. Northampton, N.Y. He entered the ministry (1831) and moved to Wisconsin (1840) where he became missionary to the Oneida Indians near Green Bay (1840-1845). He was missionary to the Indians at Brothertown (1845-1847). In 1847 he moved to Fond du Lac where he continued to preach until forced to retire because of ill health. He was one of the organizers of Lawrence College (1846). His son, HENRY COLMAN, b. Addison County, Vt., graduated from Lawrence College in 1857 and tutored there for one year. In 1858 he joined the Methodist Episcopal Conference and in 1861 entered the ministry. He was principal of Evansville Seminary (1863-1867), and from 1867 until his retirement in 1909 served numerous Wisconsin pastorates, principally in Milwaukee. He was a trustee of Lawrence College for over 60 years. Fond du Lac Commonwealth, Feb. 15, 1895; Wis. Mag. Hist., 6; Milwaukee Journal, May 26, 1927; Proc. State Hist. Soc. Wis., 1911 (1912); H. R. Colman Papers.

The Wisconsin Historical Society has manuscripts related to this topic. See the catalog description of the Henry Root Colman Papers for details.

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[Source: Dictionary of Wisconsin biography]