John Sullivan Dwight, an American author and critic, born in Boston, Mass., May 13, 1813. He graduated at Harvard college in 1832, and studied theology in the divinity school at Cambridge. In 1840 he was ordained as pastor of the Unitarian congregation in Northampton, Mass., where he remained but a short time, relinquishing the ministry to devote himself to literature, and especially to musical criticism. In 1838 he published, in Ripley's " Specimens of Foreign Standard Literature," "Translations of Select Minor Poems from the German of Goethe and Schiller, with Notes." His translations are distinguished for their graceful diction, and not less for their conscientious adherence to their originals, and especially for their musical rhythm. Subsequently he delivered lectures in many cities upon Bach, Beethoven, Handel, Mozart, and other great composers, which did much to awaken popular attention to what is called classical music, and to develop the love and appreciation of it in this country. He also contributed many articles to the " Christian Examiner," the "Dial," the "Harbinger," and other periodicals, and musical critiques of a far higher character and range of thought than were then common to the newspapers of the day.

He was one of the founders of the Brook Farm association, where he resided for nearly seven years. In April, 1852, he commenced in Boston the publication of "Dwight's Journal of Music," an independent journal of criticism of music, art, and literature, which is still in existence.