BATES, Samuel Penniman, educator, born in Mendon, Worcester County, Massachusetts, 29 January 1827. He taught school in Milford, Massachusetts, when only sixteen years of age, was graduated at Brown in 1851, and, after acting for a time as tutor in a private family, became, in 1852, principal of the Meadville, Pennsylvania, academy. Here he organized, in 1853, a class of teachers, to whom he delivered a course of lectures on the theory and practice of teaching, which was continued until 1857, and gave the first impulse toward establishing normal schools in that part of the state. In the latter year he was chosen superintendent of schools in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, and in 1860 became deputy state superintendent. While he held this office, he was given the delicate task of visiting the Colleges of the state and reporting on their condition. His reports appeared in the journals of the day, but have not been published in book form. In 1866 he was appointed by Governor Curtin state historian of Pennsylvania. His publications include "Lectures on Moral and Mental Culture " (New York, 1859); "Liberal Education," an address before the National Teachers' Association (1864) ; " History of Pennsylvania Volunteers " (5 vols., 1866-'73); "Lives of the Governors of Pennsylvania" (1873) ; "Battle of Gettysburg" (1878) ; " Life of General O. born Knowles" (1878) ; and "Battle of Chancellorsville" (1882).