James H. DeVotie

James Harvey DeVotie (1814–1891) was a Baptist minister in the American South. Born in Oneida County, New York, he was a pastor in South Carolina, Alabama, and Georgia. He was a co-founder of Howard College in Marion, Alabama, later known as Samford University, near Birmingham. He was a long-time trustee of Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. He served as a Confederate chaplain during the Civil War. After the war, he worked for the Southern Baptist Convention.

Early life James Harvey DeVotie was born on September 24, 1814, in Oneida County, New York, to Presbyterian parents. His father died when DeVotie was a child. At the age of seventeen, he moved to Savannah, Georgia, where one of his uncles lived. He then served as the pastor of Siloam Baptist Church in Marion, Alabama from 1840 to 1854. He also served as the minister of Hopewell Baptist Church near Marion from 1854 to 1855. He was also a co-founder of The Alabama Baptist in 1836. In this latter role, he attempted to convert former slaves to the Baptist faith. He served as the President of the college's Board of Trustees for two years, and as a regular trustee for fifteen years. The DeVotie Legacy Society at Samford University was founded in 1995.