- Born: January 14, 1821 in Hancock, Maryland
- Died: March 3, 1999 in Mason County, WV
[Travelers on the Long Road, Volume 1, pages 443-444]
Rev. Andrew Jackson Lyda was born January 14, 1821 in Hancock, Maryland. He was the son of James and Mary Ann Lyda who, with their family, moved to Zanesville, Ohio about 1831. Here he was converted and joined the M.E. Church about 1836. He entered college at Augusta, KY in 1838, where he graduated with honors in 1842. Here he married mary Ann Ward, the daughter of a minister on August 1, 1844. She died in May 1848 near Point Pleasant, Virginia and was buried at Gallipolis, Ohio.
Rev. Lyda joined the Ohio Conference in 1843. His first charge was Georgetown, Ohio. Here he stayed one year, receiving $100 for his year’s work. He was one of the charger members of the West Virginia Conference, being on the Virginia side of the Ohio River when the Conference was organized. He was pastor at Charleston, VA the year preceding the organization of this conference, and was appointed to the same charge for the following year. It was during this pastorate here that the great cholera scourge swept the Kanawha Valley. During this time of great tragedy and danger that Dr. Lyda first so eminently distinguished himself as the Christian that he was. In 1849 he went as pastor to Clarksburg, where he remained two years. Here, on May 12, 1851, he was married a second time to Miss Phoebe E. Davidson, the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Davidson of Clarksburg. They had two daughters who, with their mother, survived him.
After serving as pastor of several charges in tis conference, Bishop Ames appointed him Presiding Elder of the parkersburg District in 1856. In 1862 he was appointed chaplain of the Third Virginia volunteers, U.S. Army, where he remained until April 29, 1864. He received his degree of Doctor of Divinity in 1873.
Forty-eight years of his active life were spent in the effective ministry, forty-four of which were spent in the West Virginia conference. He was superannuated at his own request in September 1898. He was one of the mightiest factors in planting, cultivating and maintaing Methodism in West Virginia.
Dr. Lyda died march 3, 1899 in Mason City, W.Va.”
Plummer, K.M. (1965) A history of West Virginia Wesleyan College 1890-1965.
The Reverend Dr. Andrew Jackson Lyda (1821-1999) was a native of Hancock, Maryland. Before the seminary was established he was the first chairman of the Board of Trustees. Upon location of the seminary he resigned as chairman to become the financial agent for the school. Mr. Lyda was a charter member of the West Virginia Annual Conference and spent forty-four of his forty-eight years in the effective ministry in West Virginia. He was chaplain of the Third Virginia Volunteers, the United States Army, from 1862-64.
PLM 9/1/2019; updated 3/3/2024