William Henry Venable

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William Henry Venable (April 29, 1836-1920) was an American author and educator.

He was born in Warren County, Ohio. He began to teach at seventeen years of age, and during his vacations attended teachers' institutes in Oxford, Ohio, being one of the first teachers in the state upon whom the Ohio board of examiners conferred a life certificate. He was graduated at the Normal school at Lebanon, Ohio, in 1862, became professor of natural science in Chickering classical and scientific institute, Cincinnati, Ohio, in the same year, was its principal and proprietor in 1881, organized and was first president of the Cincinnati society of political education, and in 1882 founded and conducted in that city the African school of popular science and history.

He retired from teaching in 1886, and devoted himself to literary work and lecturing. He was an editor of the "Ohio Archaeological and Historical Quarterly." He was actively connected with many educational associations, and a member of several learned bodies. The University of Ohio gave him the degree of LL.D. in 1886.

He has published "June on the Miami, and other Poems" (Cincinnati, 1871); "A School History of the United States" (1872); "The School Stage, 's a collection of juvenile acting plays, original and adapted (1873); "The Teacher's Dream," a poem (New York, 1880); "Melodies of the Heart, and other Poems" (Cincinnati, 1884); "Footprints of the Pioneers in the Ohio Valley" (1888); "Biography of William D. Gallagher" (1888); and "Historical Sketch of Western Periodical Literature" (1888). He has also published several pamphlets, addresses, etc., and edited "The Dramatic Actor," a collection of plays (1873); "Dramatic Scenes from the Best Authors" (1874). Other writings include: "Melodies of the heart, songs of freedom, and other poems" (1885); "Early periodical literature of the Ohio Valley" (1888); "Down South before the war" (1889); "Beginnings of literary culture in the Ohio valley, historical and biographical sketches" (1891); "Let him first be a man, and other essays chiefly relating to education and culture" (1893); "Saga of the oak, and other poems" (1904); "Dream of empire, or, The house of Blennerhassett" (1901); "Floridian sonnets" (1909); "Buckeye boyhood" (1911).