Guide to the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Board of Foreign Missions Secretaries' Files

Walter Lowrie (1784-1868) succeeded Elisha Swift in 1837 as Corresponding Secretary of the Western Foreign Missionary Society, the predecessor of the Board of Foreign Missions (BFM). He served in that capacity until his death in 1868. Prior to his service with the Presbyterian Church, Lowrie had served as a representative to the Pennsylvania Assembly (1811-1812); as a State Senator (1813-1819); and as a United States Senator (1819-1825). A contemporary of Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, John C. Calhoun and Thomas Hart Benton, Lowrie was a temperance advocate and an ardent opponent of the extension of slavery into the territories. He served on a number of congressional committees, including roads and canals, accounts, finance and Indian Affairs. In 1825, he was elected Secretary of the United States Senate, a position he held until 1836.

During his tenure as Corresponding Secretary, the newly formed BFM grew from obscurity to an extensive missionary operation. He solicited contributions for the Board and maintained close touch with all phases of mission work. His senatorial experience provided a unique and detailed knowledge of the needs of Native Americans. He personally supervised the sending of household provisions and farm implements to the Native Americans and frequently visited missionaries in the West. In the area of foreign missions, Lowrie corresponded extensively with those serving in Africa, India, and China and those ministering to the Native, Chinese, and Jewish Americans.