Rev. Beniah Longley Whitman (also spelled Benaiah; November 21, 1862 – November 27, 1911) was the 11th president of

Colby College Colby College is a private liberal arts college in Waterville, Maine. It was founded in 1813 as the Maine Literary and Theological Institution, then renamed Waterville College after the city where it resides. The donations of Christian philanthr ...

, and later Columbian College (now

George Washington University , mottoeng = "God is Our Trust" , established = , type = Private federally chartered research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.8 billion (2022) , preside ...

Life

Beniah Longley Whitman was born in Wilmot, Nova Scotia on November 21, 1962. He prepared for college at the

Worcester Academy Worcester Academy is a private school in Worcester, Massachusetts. It is the oldest educational institution founded in the city of Worcester, Massachusetts, and one of the oldest day-boarding schools in the United States. A coeducational prepara ...

Worcester, Massachusetts Worcester ( , ) is a city and county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, the city's population was 206,518 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the second-List of cities i ...

. He graduated from

Brown University Brown University is a private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providenc ...

in the class of 1887, with a B.A. degree, and received an M.A. degree in 1890. He received the honorary degree of D.D. from

Bowdoin College Bowdoin College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Brunswick, Maine. When Bowdoin was chartered in 1794, Maine was still a part of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The college offers 34 majors and 36 minors, as well as several joint eng ...

in 1894; the degree of LL.D. from

Howard University Howard University (Howard) is a private, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity" and accredited by the Middle States Commissi ...

in 1899, and from

Furman University Furman University is a private liberal arts university in Greenville, South Carolina. Founded in 1826 and named for the clergyman Richard Furman, Furman University is the oldest private institution of higher learning in South Carolina. It became ...

in 1906. He was lecturer in

Bucknell University Bucknell University is a private liberal arts college in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1846 as the University at Lewisburg, it now consists of the College of Arts and Sciences, Freeman College of Management, and the College of Engineering. ...

, 1900–07; trustee of Newton Theological Institution (now the

Andover Newton Theological School Andover Newton Theological School (ANTS) was a graduate school and seminary in Newton, Massachusetts. Affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA and the United Church of Christ. It was the product of a merger between Andover Theological ...

), 1894-02; and of the

Crozer Theological Seminary The Crozer Theological Seminary was a Baptist seminary located in Upland, Pennsylvania. Martin Luther King Jr. was a student at Crozer Theological Seminary from 1948 to 1951, and graduated with a Bachelor of Divinity degree. In 1970, the semina ...

, 1901–08; President of the

American Baptist Historical Society The American Baptist Historical Society (ABHS) is the oldest Baptist historical society in the United States. History The American Baptist Historical Society was created in 1853 at the instigation of John Mason Peck. In 1862, it was chartered under ...

, 1900–07. He was a member of the

Delta Upsilon Delta Upsilon (), commonly known as DU, is a collegiate men's fraternity founded on November 4, 1834 at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It is the sixth-oldest, all-male, college Greek Letter Organizations#Greek letters, Greek-let ...

fraternity and of

Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal a ...

. He married Mary J. Scott of Newton, Massachusetts on December 6, 1888, and they had four children. He was pastor of the Free Street Baptist Church, Portland, Maine, 1890–92; President of

, 1892–95; President of Columbian, now

, 1895-1900; pastor of the Fifth Baptist Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1900–07; First Baptist Church, Seattle, Washington, from 1908 until his death in 1911.

Publications

''Ideals in Education''
(1892) *''Elements of Ethics'' (1893) *''Elements of Sociology'' (1894) *''Elements of Political Science'' (1899) *''Outlines of Political History'' (1900)

References

External links

Rev. Beniah Longley Whitman
at

{{DEFAULTSORT:Whitman, Beniah Longley 1862 births 1911 deaths Brown University alumni Howard University alumni Furman University alumni George Washington University faculty Canadian academics People from Annapolis County, Nova Scotia Presidents of Colby College Canadian emigrants to the United States Presidents of George Washington University