Reverend Charles William Nassau
D.D.
A Doctor of Divinity (D.D. or DDiv; la, Doctor Divinitatis) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity.
In the United Kingdom, it is considered an advanced doctoral degree. At the University of Oxford, doctors of divinity are ra ...
, (April 12, 1804 – August 6, 1878) was a
Presbyterian minister and the fourth president of
Lafayette College serving from 1849 to 1850.
Early life
Charles Nassau was born in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1804 to Reverend William Nassau, a
ruling elder at the Second Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, and Ann Nassau (
née
A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...
Parkinson).
The family descended from the
Duchy of Nassau, through Charles Henry Von Nassau, the chief
hunt master to
Augustus II the Strong, the
King of Saxony.
Nassau initially attended school at the
University of Pennsylvania, graduating on July 26, 1821, and studied Hebrew the following year with a professor from the school. Nassau attended
Princeton Theological Seminary for one year before leaving due to health problems, and completed his
seminary with the
Presbytery of Philadelphia
The Presbytery of Philadelphia, known during its early years simply as the Presbytery or the General Presbytery, is a presbytery of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). It was the first organized presbytery in what was to become the United States.
H ...
on April 23, 1824. Nassau was ordained by the Presbytery on November 16, 1825.
Career
After his ordainment, Nassau was a pastor in
Norristown, Pennsylvania
Norristown is a municipality with home rule status and the county seat of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Montgomery County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the third-most populous county in Pennsylvania and the 7 ...
from 1825 to 1828, leaving due to another complaint with his health. From 1829 to 1833 he taught at an all-boys school in Philadelphia before overcoming his health issues and practicing as a pastor, again in Norristown, from 1832 to 1833.
Starting in 1836, Nassau became a professor of Latin and Greek at
Marion College, in
Hannibal, Missouri. He stayed here for two years before transferring to teach ancient languages at Lafayette College from 1841 to 1849.
In 1848, Lafayette College was under dire financial stress due to a lacking endowment. The previous president,
George Junkin
Reverend George Junkin D.D., LL.D (November 1, 1790 – May 20, 1868) was an American educator and Presbyterian minister who served as the first and third president of Lafayette College and later as president of Miami University and Washington ...
, resigned in the 1848 school year leaving the college without a president. In a state of emergency, Nassau was elected as president in 1849. Despite Nassau's education, he was unable to turn the financial situation around, and left the position in September, 1850 when debtors began to take legal action against the school.
After the presidency at Lafayette, Nassau became head of the Young Ladies' Seminary in
Lawrenceville, New Jersey. He served in this position until 1875, and the seminary prospered well during his tenure.
After 1875, Nassau resigned from this position to retire in
Trenton, New Jersey.
Personal life
Nassau married Hannah Hamill on April 11, 1826, with whom he had eleven children.
In 1850, Nassau was awarded with an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Jefferson College (now
Washington & Jefferson College).
He died in Trenton on August 6, 1878.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nassau, Charles
1804 births
1878 deaths
19th-century Presbyterian ministers
American Presbyterians
Presidents of Lafayette College
Clergy from Philadelphia
19th-century American clergy