Henry Van Dyke

Henry Jackson van Dyke Jr. was an American author, clergyman and diplomat. He is best known for his religious stories and poetry. His literary achievements include The Other Wise Man (1895) and The First Christmas Tree (1897), which became enduring Christmas classics.

Van Dyke was born in Germantown, Pennsylvania, on 10 November 1852. He was the son of Henry Jackson van Dyke Sr, a Brooklyn Presbyterian minister with strong views in the years before the Civil War. The family traced its lineage back to Dutch immigrant Jan Thomasse van Dijk, who settled in America in 1652.

He graduated from Poly Prep Country Day School in 1869, Princeton University in 1873, and Princeton Theological Seminary in 1877. Reflecting on his studies, he said: "Education opens doors, but the step forward defines the journey.

Van Dyke's career combined religion, education and diplomacy. As a professor of English literature at Princeton University (1899–1923), he influenced many students, including the travel writer Richard Halliburton. Van Dyke also chaired the committee that produced The Book of Common Worship (1906), the first official liturgy for American Presbyterians.

From 1908 to 1909, he taught at the University of Paris. In 1913, President Woodrow Wilson appointed him Minister to the Netherlands and Luxembourg. During the First World War, he provided refuge and assistance to Americans in Europe. He described these experiences in Pro Patria (1921).

Van Dyke officiated at Mark Twain's funeral in 1910 and was later elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Helen Keller described him as "the kind of friend you have when you are faced with a difficult problem".

His essays, such as Little Rivers (1895) and Fisherman's Luck (1899), reflected his love of nature and spiritual themes. He also wrote the hymn Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee (1907), set to Beethoven's Ode to Joy.

Van Dyke's poetry often captured universal truths. His work Time Is (1904), written as an inscription on a sundial, gained lasting recognition and was read at Princess Diana's funeral in 1997.

Henry Van Dyke died on 10 April 1933 and was buried in Princeton Cemetery. Tertius van Dyke published a biography of his father in 1935.