How is the pen name Eirenaeus Philalethes related in a familial way to Obama's newly-named Education Secretary?

edmund80

By the name "Starkey." Eirenaeus Philalethes, meaning peaceful lover of truth, was the supposed pen name of George Starkey. However, other sources note that Starkey died of the plague in London in 1665 and that Eirenaeus was still alive after this time. "He (George Starkey) was born in Bermuda and educated at Harvard College. He became the first English-speaking native of the New World to be extensively read across Europe. Starkey left for London in 1650. Here he set up a laboratory and became the informal chemistry teacher of Robert Boyle, though Boyle never acknowledged this debt. At this time, Starkey wrote various alchemical tracts under the nom de plume of Eirenaeus Philalethes - peaceful lover of truth." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Starkey_(alchemist) "Others have striven to identify him (Eirenaeus Philalethes) with George Starkey, the doctor and author of Liquor Alchahest, but Starkey died of the plague in London in 1665, and it is known that Eirenaeus was living for some years after that date." http://www.answers.com/topic/eirenaeus-philalethes Arne Duncan, President-elect Obama's nominee for Secretary of Education, is the son of Starkey Duncan and Susan Morton. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arne_duncan Dec 16 08, 4:37 PM