John Berrien Lindsley

John Berrien Lindsley (1822–1897) was an American Presbyterian minister and educator in Nashville, Tennessee.

Born in Princeton, New Jersey, and educated at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School, he married an heiress to the Carnton plantation and ministered to slaves and the poor. He was Professor of Medicine at the University of Nashville and co-founder of its Medical Department (a precursor to the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine). He served as the Dean of the Medical Department from 1850 to 1855, and as the Chancellor of the University of Nashville from 1855 to its demise in 1873.

During the American Civil War of 1861-1865, he protected its campus buildings, and he was in charge of Confederate hospitals in Nashville. After the war, he was a superintendent of Nashville schools and a co-founder of the Montgomery Bell Academy.

Early life Lindsley was born on October 24, 1822, in Princeton, New Jersey. His father, Dr. Philip Lindsley, was an acting president of Princeton University and resigned in 1824 to become president of the University of Nashville.

Lindsley received a Bachelor of Arts degree from University of Nashville in 1839, He was Southern Presbyterian and believed in the mission of civilizing the world. Additionally, he served on the Tennessee Board of Education from 1856 to 1860. It is also on display on the second floor of the Nashville Public Library.