Talk:Samuel Davies (clergyman)

Proposed move

 * The following discussion is an archived discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review. No further edits should be made to this section. 

The result of the move request was: moved to Samuel Davies (clergyman). -- Brown HairedGirl (talk) • (contribs) 08:48, 20 February 2014 (UTC)

Samuel Davies (educator) → Samuel Davies (clergyman) – (or similar name) Only a portion of his career and notability was spent as an educator, however his entire career was as a Presbyterian minister/clergyman (which at that time as today often included among its duties that of educator). While I knew of Davies as a minister, I didn't know about educator, and it appears most of the article deals with his role as clergyman. Morgan Riley (talk) 18:56, 12 February 2014 (UTC)
 * Support per nom. (minister) also fine. Category:American Presbyterian ministers In ictu oculi (talk) 22:02, 12 February 2014 (UTC)
 * I'd support (minister) also. Whichever is the general disambiguator term for the position.Morgan Riley (talk) 23:15, 12 February 2014 (UTC)


 * Oppose – it appears to me that his notability comes from being pres of Princeton, not from being a preacher. Dicklyon (talk) 04:33, 13 February 2014 (UTC)
 * I disagree. His notability equally if not moreso comes from his role in the advent of religious freedom in the United States (and his preaching style being an influence on a young Patrick Henry), completely independent of his work at Princeton. At least in Virginia, he is well known for being the first licensed Presbyterian minister in the colony, thus beginning the erosion of the established Anglican church there, so much so that the site of his church there is a historic museum with a partial reconstruction and its own foundation (see e.g. http://www.historicpolegreen.org/). Further, his career as a whole was less about being an educator, and more about being a minister.Morgan Riley (talk) 06:26, 13 February 2014 (UTC)


 * Support (minister) or (clergyman). I'm sure the current title comes by way of Princeton, as Dicklyon mentioned, but in the 18th century it was still very common for clergy to run universities—in effect, Princeton president was a religious position. In fact, the President of Princeton University in particular was a clergyman until Woodrow Wilson in 1902. Yes, a good part of Davies's notability stems from his time at Princeton, but that was only three years. And from the looks of it, he would still be notable without that service. --BDD (talk) 19:46, 13 February 2014 (UTC)
 * Comment not clear that he was a teacher — Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.120.175.135 (talk) 22:03, 19 February 2014 (UTC)
 * Support As BDD notes, prior to the 20th Century, the Presidency of Princeton was an office held by noted clergymen, whose religious credentials were considered of primary importance. His role as an educator was secondary to his spirtual calling.  Add to that the argument that Davies career is notable independent of his university position -- clearly, this move is justified.  Regarding the question of which word, exactly, is the best disambiguator, I express a slight preference for "clergyman", only because "minister" can also refer to a civil office. Xoloz (talk) 02:48, 20 February 2014 (UTC)
 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on this talk page or in a move review. No further edits should be made to this section.