D. D Cone Spencer Houghton, an American clergyman, born in Princeton, N. J., April 30, 1785, died in New York, Aug. 28, 1855. At the age of 12 he entered Princeton college, but two years later the infirm health of his father made him the only support of a large family, and he became Latin teacher in the Princeton academy. He afterward taught school at Burlington, N. J., and subsequently in Philadelphia, where he enfeebled his health by the combined labors of teacher, law student, and copyist. One of his friends, an Episcopal bishop, advised him to take orders in the Episcopal church, from which, however, he was withheld by the fact that he was a Baptist, and of a family which had been Baptist during many generations. The next advice of the bishop was that he should avail himself of his remarkable voice, and other superior physical qualifications, by going upon the stage. This he prepared to do, and in 1805 he appeared in the old Chestnut street theatre, Philadelphia, and at once took considerable rank. For seven years he followed this profession with great success, chiefly at Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Alexandria. In 1812 the lady to whom he was engaged refused to marry him unless he abandoned the stage; which he did, and became editor of the "Baltimore American" newspaper.

He soon after joined a regiment and served against the British in the engagements connected with their attacks on Baltimore and Washington. At the instance of George M. Dallas, whose father was secretary of the treasury, he obtained an appointment at Washington; and as he now contemplated the Christian ministry, he began to preach in some of the neighboring churches. He immediately excited general interest, attracted thronging audiences, and was chosen chaplain to the congress of 1815-'16. He was settled in Alexandria until 1823, when he accepted a call to the Oliver street Baptist church in New York city, of which society he held the pastorate till 1841, when he exchanged it for that of the first Baptist church in the same city, which he retained till his death. He was a leading member of the Baptist general convention of the United States, and became its president in 1832; was foremost in directing the measures of the societies of home and foreign missions; took part in the discussions which resulted in the secession from the American Bible society of the American and foreign Bible Society, of which he was chosen president; and in 1850 was one of the authors of a tract calling for a new translation of the Bible, more definitely in accordance with Baptist views, which occasioned an exciting controversy within the Baptist body.

The result of the discussion, however, was that the proposal was negatived, and then Dr. Cone prompted the formation of the American Bible union, of which he was made president. A memoir of his life was written by his sons, and published in New York in 1856.