OCCUM, or OCCOM, SAirsox; an American Indian preacher; 1723-97; b. Conn.; converted at the age of 17, and soon expressed a desire to become the teacher of his tribe; educated for the ministry among his countrymen in a private school under the care of the rev. Eleazer Wheelock at Lebanon. This school gradually beeame'a seminary for the education of Indians and of missionaries to the Indians, and was called Moor's charity school. It was opened as a missionary school in 1748, but not completely estab lished until 1754. Here Brant, the famous Mohawk chief, was educated, having been sent there with others of his tribe through the influence of sir William Johnson, an active friend and patron of the school. After a four years' training in the school, Occurn in 174S taught a school in New London, but soon removed to Montauk, L. I., where lie taught a school among the Indians for 10 years. being at the same time their religious teacher, and preaching to the Skenecock or Yenecock Indians, 30 m. distant. In a revival among the Montauks many became Christians. Occum was ordained by the Suffolk presbytery Aug. 29, 1759. and was a regular member of the presbytery from that time. In 1766 he accompanied the rev. Mr. Whitaker of Norwich to England and Scot
land to solicit funds for the support and enlargement of the school. Great interest was excited, and the houses where he preached were thronged. While in England he preached between three and four hundred sermons. Donations were obtained amounting to £12,000, nearly allof which was invested in British funds, the income to be applied to the objects of the school. It was soon transferred to Hanover, N. H., and became Dartmouth college. After his return Occum preached to his countrymen in the region of New London, and sometimes was employed in missionary labors among distant Indi ans. In 17S6 he removed to Brothertown, near Utica, N. Y., where was the home of the Stockbridge Indians, who were of the Mohegan root. Some of the Mohegans and other Indians of Connecticut, Long Island and Rhode Island accompanied Occum. ' They obtained a tract of land from the Oneidas. From this they removed to Michigan, and were merged in the Stockbridge tribe. Occum wrote an account of the Montauk Indians which lie preserved in manuscript in the historical Collections. He published a sermon at the execution of Moses Paul, an Indian, at New Haven.