The American Bible Society

The American Bible SocietyBible societies in America date back to 1809 when Declaration Signer Benjamin Rush helped establish the first Bible society in America. By 1816, 121 more Bible societies had been started across the nation, many of them with the help of key Founding Fathers. The American Bible Society, founded in 1816, was the first national Bible society. The original officers of the Society included: signers of the U. S. Constitution, revolutionary generals, U.S. Supreme Court Justices, a U.S. Attorney General, a U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, state governors, and others.

WallBuilders vast collection of original documents includes an original constitution of the American Bible Society as well as a first Bible printed by that society. Below are the title page and officers page for the 1816 American Bible Society Constitution.

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OFFICERS
OF THE
AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY. 

President,
Hon. Elias Boudinot,         of New-Jersey.

Vice-Presidents,
Hon. John Jay,                   of New-York.
Mat. Clarkson, Esq.       of New-York.
Hon. Smith Thompson,       of New-York.
Hon. John Langdon,           of New-Hampshire.
Hon. Caleb Strong,             of Massachusetts.
Hon. William Gray,             of Massachusetts.
Hon. John Cotton Smith,     of Connecticut.
Hon. Jonas Galusha,           of Vermont.
Hon. William Jones,            of Rhode-Island.
Hon. Isaac Shelby,              of Kentucky.
George Madison, Esq.      of Kentucky.
Hon. William Tilghman,        of Pennsylvania.
Hon. Bushrod Washington,   of Virginia.
William Wirt, Esq.           of Virginia.
Hon. Charles C. Pinckney,    of South-Carolina.
Hon. William Gaston,           of North-Carolina.
Hon. Thomas Worthington,  of Ohio.
Hon. Thomas Pusey,           of Indiana.
Hon. James Brown,             of Louisiana.
John Bolton, Esq.           of Georgia.
Hon. Felix Grundy,               of Tennessee.
Robert Olivers, Esq.         of Maryland.
Joseph Nourse, Esq.         of the District of Columbia.

Secretary for Foreign Correspondence,
Rev. Dr. J. M. Mason.

Secretary for Domestic Correspondence,
Rev. Dr. J. B. Romevn.

Treasurer,
Richard Varick, Esq.