David Marshall Ramsay was born in Greenville County on October 10, 1857, son of Martha Gaines and Andrew Ramsay. He began a career of teaching and ministry at the age of 18 and spent the next 70 years in the same professions, eventually becoming president of Greenville Female College in 1911, holding that position for 20 years. From 1891 to 1907 he was president of the Board of Trustees of Furman University and Greenville Woman’s College.
David Ramsay attended Richmond College, now the University of Richmond, from 1880 to 1884. From 1884 to 1887 he attended Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, earning a Master of Theology. He also won degrees as Doctor of Divinity from Howard College in Ala., and Doctor of Literature from Furman University.
Dr. Ramsay pastored the following churches; Glen’s Creek Baptist Church, Woodford County, Ky., 1887; First Baptist Church, Tuscaloosa, Ala., 1887-91; Citadel Baptist Church, Charleston, SC, 1891-1907; Grace Baptist Church, Richmond, Va., 1907-11; Pelzer Baptist Church, 1932-37; and Shady Grove Baptist Church, Anderson County, 1937 to 1952.
Dr. Ramsay was married to Mamie Woolfolk of Versailles, Ky. and they had three children; Endora Ramsay Richardson of Richmond, Va., Col. Allen Brodie Ramsay, U.S. Army Medical Corps, and David M. Ramsay, Jr.
Dr. Ramsay died on August 5, 1957 in Greenville, SC.
For more information, see the "Furman in the World First Year Seminar" student biography of David M. Ramsay.
