Ovid R. Sellers

Archaeologist, Deceased Person

1884 – 1975

40

Who was Ovid R. Sellers?

Ovid Rogers Sellers was an internationally known Old Testament scholar and archaeologist who played a role in the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. He served as Professor of the Old Testament and Dean of McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, Illinois from 1924-1954.

Ovid Sellers grew up on the campus of Wentworth Military Academy in Lexington, Missouri, and graduated from Wentworth at age 13, the youngest in the history of the school. He earned an A.B. from the University of Chicago in 1904, a B.D. from McCormick Theological Seminary, becoming an ordained Presbyterian minister, in 1914, and a Ph.D from Johns Hopkins University in 1922. His studies concentrated largely on the Old Testament and ancient languages, including Greek, Latin, Hebrew, Aramaic, Egyptian Hieroglyphics, Syriac, and Akkadian Cuneiform.

His father, Sandford Sellers, was superintendent of Wentworth Military Academy, and Ovid returned to fill positions at the Academy while gaining his education, serving variously as instructor, coach, and headmaster. He also was the editor of the local paper, the Lexington Intelligencer News, from 1907-11. In World War I, he served as a chaplain and First Lieutenant in the 17th Field Artillery, Second Division, AEF. After getting his doctorate from Johns Hopkins, he became a Professor of the Old Testament at McCormick Theological Seminary, serving in that position from 1924 to 1954, and as Dean from 1934 to 1954. He periodically served as a visiting professor at the University of Chicago.

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Born
Aug 12, 1884
Also known as
  • Ovid Sellers
Parents
Children
Nationality
  • United States of America
Profession
Education
  • University of Chicago
Died
1975

Submitted
on July 23, 2013

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