Benjamin Rush Rhees ( 08 February 1860–05 January 1939) was the third president of the

University of Rochester The University of Rochester (U of R, UR, or U of Rochester) is a private research university in Rochester, New York. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The University of Roc ...

, serving from 1900 to 1935.

Education

Rhees, great-grandson of radical Baptist minister

Morgan John Rhys Morgan John Rhys, also Rhees (8 December 1760 – 7 December 1804) was a Welsh radical evangelical Baptist minister. He preached the principles of the French Revolution, against slavery, and in favour of the reform of parliament. Life Morgan John ...

, earned his undergraduate degrees from

Amherst College Amherst College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts. Founded in 1821 as an attempt to relocate Williams College by its then-president Zephaniah Swift Moore, Amherst is the third oldest institution of higher educatio ...

where he was a member of

Alpha Delta Phi Alpha Delta Phi (), commonly known as Alpha Delt, ADPhi, A-Delt, or ADP, is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity. Alpha Delta Phi was originally founded as a literary society by Samuel Eells in 1832 at Hamilton College in Cli ...

. He graduated from the

Hartford Theological Seminary The Hartford International University for Religion and Peace (formerly Hartford Seminary) is a Private university, private Seminary, theological university in Hartford, Connecticut. History Hartford Seminary's origins date back to 1833 when th ...

and was ordained a

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...

minister.

President of the University of Rochester

He served in the position from 1900 to 1935. When he arrived at the University, it had been without a president for four years. Under his tenure,

George Eastman George Eastman (July 12, 1854March 14, 1932) was an American entrepreneur who founded the Kodak, Eastman Kodak Company and helped to bring the photographic use of roll film into the mainstream. He was a major philanthropist, establishing the ...

became a donor to the University, contributing in the largest capacity the University had seen. The

Eastman School of Music The Eastman School of Music is the music school of the University of Rochester, a private research university in Rochester, New York. It was established in 1921 by industrialist and philanthropist George Eastman. It offers Bachelor of Music (B.M ...

was begun during Rhees' tenure, as was the University's medical center and the College for Women (1902). Also during his tenure the Institute of Optics, the first such entity in the New World, was founded in 1929. Additionally, Rhees' administration was responsible for moving the campus from Prince Street to its current home on the River Campus (formerly Oak Hill golf course), with a groundbreaking in 1927. RushRheesLibraryMemorialDayPortrait

Rush Rhees Library Rush Rhees Library is the main academic library of the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York. It is one of the most visible and recognizable landmarks on the university's River Campus. Construction began in 1927 with the other origina ...

, the main academic library of the University of Rochester, established in 1930 was named after him, as during his tenure, the school went from a small college to a research university.

Family

Rhees and his wife Harriet Chapin Seelye (daughter of L. Clark Seelye) were the parents of

Rush Rhees Rush Rhees (; 19 March 1905 – 22 May 1989) was an American philosopher. He is principally known as a student, friend, and literary executor of the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein. With G. E. M. Anscombe he was co-editor of Wittgenstein's post ...

, a

Wittgenstein Ludwig Josef Johann Wittgenstein ( ; ; 26 April 1889 – 29 April 1951) was an Austrians, Austrian-British people, British philosopher who worked primarily in logic, the philosophy of mathematics, the philosophy of mind, and the philosophy o ...

scholar and one of the philosopher's literary executors.

References

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rhees, Benjamin Rush Presidents of the University of Rochester 1860 births 1939 deaths Amherst College alumni Hartford Seminary alumni People from Chicago