William Bonnell Once Occupied Chair of Natural Science at Shanghai, China

William B. Bonnell
Oct 31, 1847
Mar 30, 1912
I am the resurrection and the life.

Eglantine Square Block 1, Lot 32
31 March 1912
Macon Weekly Telegraph
Viewed online at GenealogyBank.

"PROF. BONNELL EXPIRES AFTER MONTH'S ILLNESS
Head of Department of Science at Wesleyan,
WAS NOTED EDUCATOR
Son of Late John M. Bonnell, Former President of Wesleyan -- Once Occupied Chair of National Science at Shanghai, China
Professor William B. Bonnell, the well known educator and scientist, died Saturday afternoon at 2:35 o'clock at his home in Vineville after an illness of four weeks. On March 1 he was stricken with paralysis of the left side later resulting in complications causing his death.

Prof. Bonnell was born October 31, 1847, at Athens, Ga, being the eldest son of John M. Bonnell and Mary A. Bonnell, the former at one time president of Wesleyan Female College and a well remembered and conspicuous figure in the earlier history of Macon. It was at this time that Prof. Bonnell was engaged in the Atlanta campaign of the civil war, and some time later he entered the University of Georgia where he graduated with the B. S. degree. After leaving college Mr. Bonnell engaged in civil engineering and did his part toward the building of some of the earlier railroads throughout Georgia. His national aptitude for teaching, however, soon manifested itself so strongly that he gave up engineering and followed in his father's steps. His phenomenal powers in this direction soon won for him an exalted position as an educator throughout the south. In 1884 he volunteered for missionary service in the foreign field and accepted the chair of natural sciences in the Anglo-Chinese college of Shanghai, China. Here his personality and undying zeal continued to win him many true friends, not a few among whom were the Chinese, with whom he became closely affiliated. He has many personal friends among the highly educated and cultured people of that race now. Returning to America in 1895 he was elected to the position of head of the department of natural science at Wesleyan College, to which work he diligently attended up until the last few days of his life.

Prof. Bonnell is survived by his wife, Mrs. Alice Wright Bonnell; seven children, Miss Lillian Bonnell, John Wright Bonnell, Mrs. W. L. Clifton, all of New York City; Geo. H. Bonnell, of Atlanta; H. W. Bonnell, Miss Alice Wright Bonnell, Miss Gladys Bonnell; his brother, John F. Bonnell, of Emory College, Oxford, Ga, and his sister Mrs. H. H. Stone, of Oxford, Ga.

The ceremony will be conducted in Wesleyan college chapel by the Rev. J. T. Ryder, assisted by the Rev. W. N. Ainsworth, Sunday afternoon at 4 o'clock. Interment will be made at Rose Hill cemetery. The body will be in state from 12:30 p.m. until the hour of the funeral."


William was also part of the University of Georgia Centennial Alumni Catalog of 1901. If he indeed filled out the questionnaire, the above is his name written by his hand.