My Genealogy Hound

CHARLES LEWIS EHRENFELD, youngest child of Augustus Clemens Ehrenfeld, M. D., was born in Kishacoquillas Valley, Mifflin County, Pa., June 15, 1832. His father was a native of Heilbronn, Germany, a graduate of Heidelberg University, a classical scholar who wrote and spoke the Latin with ease, conversed readily in the French, and knew several other modern languages.

His grandfather, George Frederick Ehrenfeld, came to this country in the latter part of the last century. He was a wealthy merchant in Philadelphia, but was financially ruined some time before his death, through being security for others. He died there in 1809, at the home of his son. His maternal grandfather, Henry Stetzer, was a patriot soldier in the Revolutionary War, serving through a great part of that long contest, and Henry Stetzer’s father, John Stetzer, was also in the service of the American Army during the Revolution, charged with superintending the shoeing of army horses. The other maternal great-grandfather of our subject, was in Braddock’s Army, and died of sickness near Braddock’s field, where he lies buried.

In his religious antecedents, Prof. Ehrenfeld comes from the two historic branches of the Protestant faith, his father having been Lutheran, his mother, Reformed.

The subject of this sketch was in his seventh year when his father died; thereafter, his mother and older brothers having gone to farming, he worked on the farm until he was fifteen; then was clerk two years in a country store; taught a country school during the winter of 1850-51; went to Wittenberg College in 1851; was graduated in 1856. He was an active member of the Excelsior Society, and in the contest between the literary societies in the spring of 1855, he was orator. After his graduation in 1856, he returned home and took an active part in the Presidential campaign for Fremont, making speeches for the “Pathfinder,” and cast his first vote for President. Taught school the following winter. In the fall of 1857, returned to Wittenberg College to study theology, but upon his arrival was chosen tutor in the Preparatory Department, and remained in that position two years. While tutor he was elected Principal of the City Schools of Hamilton, Ohio, but wishing to continue post-graduate studies, especially theology, he did not accept the position.

Prof. Ehrenfeld resigned his position as tutor in 1859, and devoted himself to the study of theology. In the spring of 1860 became pastor of the First Lutheran Church at Altoona, Pa., where he remained until 1863; pastor at Shippensburg, 1863 and 1865; at Hollidaysburg, 1865 and 1871. Was called thence to Newport. At the same time he was chosen Principal of the Southwestern Pennsylvania State Normal School, one of a number authorized by special act of the State for the higher professional training of teachers. Having visited the school, he found it was heavily involved, and so thought it unwise to accept. But at the urgent solicitation of the State authorities, he gave up the call to Newport, and entered upon the Principalship of the Normal School in July. The school had not yet met the requirements of the law, and had not been accepted by the State authorities. The Legislature had granted it $15,000, as it had granted a like sum to each of the other five State Normal Schools then established, with the understanding that this was to be the end of State appropriations. But it was evident that the extensive requirements of the law constituting the schools, could not be met without large help from the treasury of the Commonwealth. He was appointed to make the effort. To give the history of it is not necessary, but after considerable struggle, it was successful, and an appropriation of $10,000 was obtained. He also obtained the passage of a special act authorizing the school in his charge to borrow $15,000 additional, and issue bonds therefor. With this and the appropriation of $10,000 and subsequent appropriations, the additional buildings were erected and equipped, and in May 1874, the institution was inspected and adopted as one of the regular State Normal Schools.

In 1872 Prof. Ehrenfeld was appointed by Dr. Wickersham, State Superintendent, as his Deputy, to act as Chairman of the State Committee of five to conduct the examinations of the graduating classes at the several State Normal Schools, and he performed his delicate duties in a way that gave satisfaction to all parties. During the following winters he was several times appointed by the State Department as one of several instructors at County Institutes. In 1876 he was appointed by the Executive Committee of the State Teachers’ Association to read a paper on the “Needs of the Normal Schools” at the convention at Westchester, Pa., in August of that year. In the discussion of this paper after it had been read, Dr. John S. Hart, then professor in Princeton College, said: “The argument in the paper is so complete and entire, that there is nothing left for others to do except to say ‘amen’ and subscribe to it.” After the discussion of the paper, Prof. Ehrenfeld was appointed Chairman of a committee of nine “to prepare an address to the Legislature with the aim of securing a truer and more successful policy for the Normal Schools of our Commonwealth.”

The following January Gov. Hartranft, at the solicitation of Dr. Wickersham, appointed Prof. Ehrenfeld Financial Secretary of the Department of Education, with direction to take charge as soon as a suitable successor could be found as principal of the school he had in charge. He remained Financial Secretary until February, 1878, when Gov. Hartranft appointed him State Librarian. This gave him charge of both the law and miscellaneous libraries. His report to the Legislature on the condition and needs of the libraries was followed by successive extraordinary appropriations with which to make purchases abroad as well as at home, to fill as far as possible, the existing gaps. He accordingly made many purchases at Edinburgh, London, Amsterdam, and Paris, of important and rare works upon the earliest American history and upon the provincial histories of American colonies. He also had some copies made of unique documents pertaining to Pennsylvania in the British Museum through the agency of the late Henry Stevens, Esq., of London. The Law Library also was built up into completeness, second only to that of the Library of Congress.

In 1881 Prof. Ehrenfeld was re-appointed as State Librarian by Gov. Hoyt, and in 1882 he was elected Professor of English and Latin at Wittenberg College. His term as Librarian would not have expired until 1884. and the salary was much above that of the Professorship, but the college was his Alma Mater, and its acceptance afforded opportunity of educating his children not only at home, but at a college whose course meant thorough study. Moreover, the Library had become such a resort for legal and historical research, and had so grown in his hands, that without additional assistants, he had no time left for study. He accepted the Professorship and entered upon its duties in the autumn of 1882.

Mr. Ehrenfeld was married October 3, 1860, to Miss Helen M. Hutch, of Springfield, Ohio. They have five children, three sons living, two daughters deceased. This sketch has said nothing of its subject’s work while in the active ministry, the part of his life which he probably regards as the most noteworthy, from whose duties and studies he turned aside with reluctance, and only as he was strenuously called to other work that was thrust into his hands. Also nothing of his part in the National struggle during the Rebellion. Several of his discourses during the war were published at the request of those who heard them.

His report to his own synod of the action of the memorable convention of the General Synod at Ft. Wayne in 1866, was republished in the Lutheran Observer as a “clear and thorough” statement of that eventful case. He delivered the annual address before the Alumni of the Wittenberg College in 1868. Subject, “Men of Ideas.” His reports to the different State Departments of Pennsylvania, are in the public documents. Besides, he wrote frequently for the press.

Mr. Ehrenfeld is a member of the Dauphin County Historical Society, of Pennsylvania. He was elected in 1881, honorary member of the Historical Society of Virginia, and is a member of the Modern Language Association of America.