 Later, he became the president of the
Australasia Union Conference before becoming president of the General Conference in 1901 and served as president until 1922.Born in Iowa, he was the son of a Union Army surgeon who died in the American Civil War.At the age of 10 he was converted to the Seventh-day Adventist faith being baptized by pastor George Butler, and in 1875 entered Battle Creek College (now Andrews University), remaining only one year because of ill health.