SIMMONS, William Johnson, educator, born in Charleston, South Carolina, 29 June, 1849. He is of African descent. After studying in Madison and Rochester universities, he was graduated at Howard university, Washington, D. C., in 1873, taught in Washington and in Ocala, Florida, and in 1879 entered the ministry of the Baptist church. In that year he was called to a church in Lexington, Kentucky, and in 1880 he was elected president of the State university. He became editor of the "American Baptist" in 1882, called together and organized the American Baptist national convention in 1886, and was president of the colored National press convention in the same year. He was appointed district secretary of the American Baptist home mission society for the south in 1887. Wilber-force university gave him the degree of D.D. in 1885. Dr. Simmons has published "Men of Mark" (Cleveland, Ohio, 1877), and a pamphlet on " Industrial Education " (1886), and is writing a "History of the Colored Baptists of Kentucky."