George Mathews Edgar (March 1, 1837October 18, 1913) was the President of the Seminary West of the Suwannee River, in

Tallahassee Tallahassee ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2020, the population ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, an institution which eventually became

Florida State University Florida State University (FSU) is a public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher education in the st ...

. He served in that office from 1887 to 1892. Edgar first called the

West Florida Seminary The history of Florida State University dates to the 19th century and is deeply intertwined with the history of education in Florida, education in the state of Florida and in the city of Tallahassee, Florida, Tallahassee. Florida State University, ...

"Florida State University" during Commencement in June 1891.Dodd, William George: ''History of West Florida Seminary'', page 82. Florida State University, 1952. He was also president of the Arkansas Industrial University (now the

University of Arkansas The University of Arkansas (U of A, UArk, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and the largest university in the state. Founded as Arkansas ...

) from 1884 to 1887. He later taught at the

University of Alabama The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a Public university, public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and la ...

and Occidental College in California. Edgar was born March 1, 1837, at Union, Virginia, and graduated fifth in his class from

Virginia Military Institute la, Consilio et Animis (on seal) , mottoeng = "In peace a glorious asset, In war a tower of strength""By courage and wisdom" (on seal) , established = , type = Public senior military college , accreditation = SACS , endowment = $696.8 mill ...

in 1856. During the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, he served in the

Confederate Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

. After serving in the 59th Virginia Infantry Regiment, he organized Edgar's Battalion on March 28, 1862. This battalion evolved into the 26th Virginia Infantry Battalion, and he was its major and commander. In November 1862, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel. He was married to Rebecca Fry, and they had six children. Edgar died at

Paris, Kentucky Paris is a home rule-class city in Bourbon County, Kentucky. It lies northeast of Lexington on the Stoner Fork of the Licking River. Paris is the seat of its county and forms part of the Lexington–Fayette Metropolitan Statistical Area. As ...

on October 18, 1913.

References

External links

Presidents of Florida State University
Virginia Military Institute alumni Presidents of Florida State University Leaders of the University of Arkansas 1837 births 1913 deaths {{Florida-bio-stub