Ellas Boudinot, an American patriot, born in Philadelphia, May 2, 1740, died in Burlington, N. J., Oct. 24, 1821. He was descended from a family of French Huguenots, studied law, commenced practice in New Jersey, was early a devoted advocate of the patriot cause, and in 1777 was appointed by congress commissary general of prisoners, and during the same year was elected a member of congress. In 1782 he became president of that body, and as such signed the treaty of peace. In 1789 he resumed the practice of the law, but in 1796 was appointed by Gen. Washington superintendent of the mint, which office he held till 1805, when he resigned all public employments and retired to Burlington. He became a trustee of Princeton college in 1805, and endowed it with a valuable cabinet of natural history. In 1812 he became a member of the American board of commissioners for foreign missions, and in 1816 was made the first president of the American Bible society. To these and other institutions he made munificent donations.

He was the author of several works, including "The Star of the West, or an Effort to discover the Lost Tribes of Israel," in which he seeks to show that the American aborigines are Hebrews.