Ernest Fox Nichols (June 1, 1869 – April 29, 1924) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

educator and

physicist A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe. Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate caus ...

. He served as the 10th

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native A ...

Early life

Nichols was born in

Leavenworth County Leavenworth County (county code LV) is located in the U.S. state of Kansas and is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 81,881. Its county seat and most populous city is Leavenworth. Histo ...

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

, and received his undergraduate degree from

Kansas State University Kansas State University (KSU, Kansas State, or K-State) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, United States. It was opened as the state's land-grant college in 1863 and was the first public instit ...

in 1888. After working for a year in the Chemistry Department at Kansas State, he matriculated to graduate school at

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...

, where he received degrees in 1893 and 1897. He also studied at the

University of Berlin Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (german: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, abbreviated HU Berlin) is a German public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin. It was established by Frederick William III on the initiative o ...

and

Cambridge University , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

. Nichols served as a professor of physics at

Colgate University Colgate University is a private liberal arts college in Hamilton, New York. The college was founded in 1819 as the Baptist Education Society of the State of New York and operated under that name until 1823, when it was renamed Hamilton Theologi ...

from 1892 to 1898, at

from 1898 to 1903, and

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

from 1903 to 1909. He served as the President of Dartmouth College from 1909 to 1916 and as the president of

MIT The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the m ...

from 1921 until 1922. However, he was too ill from heart disease during his brief tenure to enter actively into his responsibilities. Nichols was awarded the

Rumford Prize Founded in 1796, the Rumford Prize, awarded by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, is one of the oldest scientific prizes in the United States. The prize recognizes contributions by scientists to the fields of heat and light. These terms ...

by the

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and ...

in 1905 for his proof that light exerts pressure. He was also elected Vice President of the

National Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the Nati ...

. He was adviser of numerous outstanding scientists in Columbia University including

Frederic Columbus Blake Frederic Columbus Blake was an American engineer, social scientist, academic, futurist, writer, and visionary. He was adviser of numerous outstanding scientists in Ohio State University including William Littell Everitt William Littell Everitt ...

. His PhD adviser was

Edward Leamington Nichols Edward Leamington Nichols (September 14, 1854 – November 10, 1937) was an American scientist. He was a physicist and astronomer, professor of physics at Cornell University. Biography He was born of American parentage at Leamington Spa, Leam ...

Dartmouth presidency

The appointment of Ernest Fox Nichols as the 10th president in the Wheelock Succession could be seen as both a reflection of the times and a tribute to the quality of Dartmouth's faculty. A member of the physics department and its chair at the time of his appointment, Nichols' pioneering work in the measurement of

radiation In physics, radiation is the emission or transmission of energy in the form of waves or particles through space or through a material medium. This includes: * ''electromagnetic radiation'', such as radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visi ...

expanded the frontiers of knowledge at the end of the 19th century. He was the first Dartmouth president since

John Wheelock John Wheelock (January 28, 1754 – April 4, 1817) was the eldest son of Eleazar Wheelock who was the founder and first president of Dartmouth College; John Wheelock succeeded his father as the College’s second president. Early life John Wh ...

who was not a member of the

clergy Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

, yet his deep appreciation of the importance of broad-based scholarship to the moral and spiritual growth of students was internationally recognized. Many of the college's most cherished institutions and traditions took shape during the Nichols administration, including the

Dartmouth Outing Club The Dartmouth Outing Club (DOC) is the oldest and largest collegiate outing club in the United States. Proposed in 1909 by Dartmouth College student Fred Harris to "stimulate interest in out-of-door winter sports", the club soon grew to encompas ...

and

Winter Carnival Winter is the coldest season of the year in polar and temperate climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Different cultures d ...

. In addition, to improve communications between Dartmouth and its growing body of graduates, President Nichols established the

Dartmouth Council of Alumni Dartmouth may refer to: Places * Dartmouth, Devon, England ** Dartmouth Harbour * Dartmouth, Massachusetts, United States * Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada * Dartmouth, Victoria, Australia Institutions * Dartmouth College, Ivy League university in ...

. Ernest Fox Nichols stepped down in 1916 to become a professor of physics at

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

and subsequently became president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Posted with Permission from Dartmouth College

References

Sources

External links

President of Dartmouth College

Dartmouth College

Wheelock Succession
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nichols, Ernest Fox 1869 births 1924 deaths People from Leavenworth, Kansas Kansas State University alumni Cornell University alumni Presidents of Dartmouth College Dartmouth College faculty Presidents of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences Scientists from Kansas

Early life

Dartmouth presidency

See also

References

Sources

External links