Horatio B. Hackett (1808-1875) is the 8th subject in A Noble Company, volume 10, just released this past month.

Horatio B. Hackett was considered one of the finest Baptist academics of his day. His influence from the classrooms of the Newton Theological Institution was unparalleled. . . .Martin B. Anderson, president of the University of Rochester, said, “I believe that no American scholar has done more than Dr. Hackett, to introduce a sound scientific method into exegetical study.” Upon the professor’s death, Augustus H. Strong credited him with tripling the size of the denomination through his training of Baptist ministers. “Dr. Hackett, more than any other man,” said Strong, “formed the spirit and led the distinctive work of exact and believing study of the New Testament Greek in a great body of Christians, which partly by reason of this same progress in knowledge and love of the Word of God, raised themselves during his life time from numerical weakness to numerical power.” Barnas Sears, who had just retired as president of Brown University, said that all scholars “in this country and in Europe, knew how to prize him: and his name has a place in history, which it will never lose, while biblical learning is honoured.” Horatio Hackett represented a new concept of professional scholarship within Christian ministry. --Blair Waddell