The Story of Robert Lowry

Posted by Lily Topolski Music on Feb 9th 2026

Though known mainly for the many hymns he wrote (roughly 500), Robert Lowry only thought of hymn writing as a side hobby. The preaching of the gospel was much more important to him, and it showed throughout his life and in his writing. So what did this Baptist minister and famous hymn writer accomplish in his lifetime?

Robert Lowry was born in 1826 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on March 12th. There is not much available about his early life, though we know he enjoyed music at a young age. In 1854 he married Anna Rhees Loxley and became a pastor after graduating and over the course of his life served at five churches in three different states. Between the years of 1857 and 1872, the couple had five children together, two of which died at a young age.

Lowry always enjoyed music and writing songs, but his primary concern in life was to proclaim the gospel, which you can see reflected in some of his lyrics. As time went by, not only did he write hundreds of hymn tunes and lyrics also, but Lowry also helped to edit many song collections from 1865-1886. One of these collections was a book of Sunday school songs published in 1869 that he edited after the passing of William B. Bradbury. He also worked with another popular hymn writing contemporary of his, William H. Doane, with whom he put together several volumes. Also in 1869, Lowry became the professor of literature at Bucknell University and he continued to teach there until 1875.

Then in 1890 after 36 years of marriage, Anna Lowry, passed away. Two years later, at the age of 67, Lowry married 40-year-old Mary Jane Runyon. A short seven years later, Robert Lowry passed away at his home in Plainfield, New Jersey just before the turn of the century on November 25, 1899. He still preaches the gospel today through his many popular hymns that are sung around the world to this day!

Piano solo sheet music for hymns by Robert Lowry: