A descendant of Protestant Reformer John Knox, Witherspoon was educated at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, and afterwards served as a Presbyterian pastor.
His writings brought him to the attention of the trustees of the College of New Jersey, who sent Benjamin Rush and Richard Stockton to Scotland to persuade him and his wife, Elizabeth, to come to the American colonies.
Benjamin Rush and Richard Stockton later joined John Witherspoon in signing the Declaration of Independence.
Sailing to America in 1768, John Witherspoon became the President of the College of New Jersey, which was later renamed Princeton University.
There, Witherspoon taught 12 members of the Continental Congress, and 9 of the 55 writers of the U.S. Constitution, including James Madison.
Witherspoon's other Princeton students included ...
