Reverend George Junkin
D.D.,
LL.D
Legum Doctor (Latin: “teacher of the laws”) (LL.D.) or, in English, Doctor of Laws, is a doctorate-level academic degree in law or an honorary degree, depending on the jurisdiction. The double “L” in the abbreviation refers to the earl ...
(November 1, 1790 – May 20, 1868) was an American educator and
Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
minister who served as the first and third president of
Lafayette College
Lafayette College is a private liberal arts college in Easton, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter and other citizens in Easton, the college first held classes in 1832. The founders voted to name the college after General Laf ...
and later as president of
Miami University
Miami University (informally Miami of Ohio or simply Miami) is a public research university in Oxford, Ohio. The university was founded in 1809, making it the second-oldest university in Ohio (behind Ohio University, founded in 1804) and the ...
and Washington College (now
Washington and Lee University
, mottoeng = "Not Unmindful of the Future"
, established =
, type = Private liberal arts university
, academic_affiliations =
, endowment = $2.092 billion (2021)
, president = William C. Dudley
, provost = Lena Hill
, city = Lexington ...
).
Biography
George, the son of Joseph Junkin, was the sixth of fourteen children born in
Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. His early years were spent on his father's farm where he prepared for college. He graduated from Jefferson College (now
Washington and Jefferson College
Washington & Jefferson College (W&J College or W&J) is a private liberal arts college in Washington, Pennsylvania. The college traces its origin to three log cabin colleges in Washington County established by three Presbyterian missionaries to ...
) in 1813. After studying theology privately, he entered the Theological Seminary of the
Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church
The Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church (ARPC), as it exists today, is the historical descendant of the Synod of the South, a Synod of the Associate Reformed Church. The original Associate Reformed Church resulted from a merger of the Associate ...
, in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
and was licensed to preach by the Presbytery of Monongahela in 1816. He was soon called to the charge of the United Congregations of
Milton, Pennsylvania
Milton is a borough in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States, on the West Branch Susquehanna River, north of Harrisburg, located in Central Pennsylvania's Susquehanna River Valley. It is approximately 10 miles upriver from the mouth ...
and
McEwensville, Pennsylvania, where he remained for about eleven years. He left the reformed denomination to become a
Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
in 1822.
In 1830, he became Principal of the
Manual Labor Academy, at
Germantown, Pennsylvania, one of the first institutions of the kind to go into operation in the United States. Two years later he became the first President of
Lafayette College
Lafayette College is a private liberal arts college in Easton, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter and other citizens in Easton, the college first held classes in 1832. The founders voted to name the college after General Laf ...
. In 1841, he accepted the Presidency of
Miami University
Miami University (informally Miami of Ohio or simply Miami) is a public research university in Oxford, Ohio. The university was founded in 1809, making it the second-oldest university in Ohio (behind Ohio University, founded in 1804) and the ...
in
Oxford, Ohio
Oxford is a city in Butler County, Ohio, United States. The population was 23,035 at the 2020 census. A college town, Oxford was founded as a home for Miami University and lies in the southwestern portion of the state approximately northwest ...
remaining three years, when he again returned to Easton. He was Moderator of the General Assembly in 1844.
In November 1848 he became the President of Washington College (now
Washington and Lee University
, mottoeng = "Not Unmindful of the Future"
, established =
, type = Private liberal arts university
, academic_affiliations =
, endowment = $2.092 billion (2021)
, president = William C. Dudley
, provost = Lena Hill
, city = Lexington ...
) in Lexington, Virginia; he followed
Henry Ruffner
Henry Ruffner (January 16, 1790 – December 17, 1861), was an educator and Presbyterian minister, who served as president of Washington College (now Washington and Lee University). Although a slaveholder (and whose family had long owned slaves), ...
as president. Junkin's published speeches as president of Washington College include his inaugural address in February 1849 and one at Rutgers College in July 1856. Junkin remained at Washington College until May, 1861, when he resigned the presidency at the age of 71 and moved to
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
amidst controversy regarding his pro-Union views and Virginia's secession from the United States. Confederate General
Stonewall Jackson had been Junkin's friend and eventually son in law when Jackson was a teacher at the Virginia Military Institute, which also is located in Lexington. The movie
Gods and Generals briefly portrays the poignant end to this friendship, at the start of the Civil War, when Jackson joined the Confederate army (taking one of Junkin's sons with him) and Junkin departed for Pennsylvania. During the War, Junkin wrote a polemical attack on secession, which was also critical of abolitionists. He died in Philadelphia in 1868 and he was later reburied in Lexington, Virginia. His headstone incorrectly indicates that he was the founder of Miami University.
Among Junkin's children were,
Elinor, the first wife of Confederate General
Stonewall Jackson, the poet
Margaret Junkin Preston, and a son, George Junkin, Jr.
Tenure at Miami University
George Junkin succeeded
Robert Hamilton Bishop
Robert Hamilton Bishop (July 26, 1777 in West Lothian, Scotland – April 29, 1855 in Pleasant Hill, Ohio) was a Scottish-American educator and Presbyterian minister who became the first president of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. A professor o ...
as Miami University's second president, serving from 1841 to 1844. He quickly established his philosophy about college leadership, proclaiming that a monarchical system best suits a college administration, with the President serving as King. This was a difficult adjustment for students and faculty, who had been used to the more progressive Bishop administration. There was also controversy over his proslavery views, which he expressed in a pamphlet published in 1843 known as ''The Integrity of Our National Union vs. Abolitionism''.
The years of the Junkin administration began the "sullen years" of Miami, where there was a definite gloom amongst the students and faculty on campus. As a result of their dislike, he spent only three years before moving back to Lafayette. His tombstone inaccurately describes him as the founder of Miami University. The campus of Miami University has no building or location which bears his name, which argue that his three years at Miami were not enjoyable.
Role in Presbyterian Church history
In the 1830s, Junkin took part in a major event in Presbyterian Church history, known as the
Old School-New School Controversy
Old or OLD may refer to:
Places
*Old, Baranya, Hungary
*Old, Northamptonshire, England
* Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD)
*OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Ma ...
. Junkin (representing the Old School) served as the prosecutor in a church trial of
Albert Barnes (a leading New School theologian), accusing him of heresy. This controversy, which turned on theological differences and regional prejudices, eventually led the Presbyterian Church to split in 1838.
Archival collections
The
Presbyterian Historical Society
The Presbyterian Historical Society (PHS) is the oldest continuous denominational historical society in the United States.Smylie, James H. 1996. ''A Brief History of the Presbyterians.'' Louisville, Kentucky: Geneva Press. Its mission is to col ...
in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
, has a collection of Junkin's correspondences, sermons and photographs in its holdings.
The
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...
has genealogical notes of the Junkin Family in the Southern Historical Collections at the
Louis Round Wilson Special Collections Library.
References
External links
*
*
Junkin family history
{{DEFAULTSORT:Junkin, George
1790 births
1868 deaths
Presidents of Miami University
Presbyterian Church in the United States of America ministers
Washington & Jefferson College alumni
Presidents of Washington and Lee University
Washington and Lee University faculty
Presidents of Lafayette College
Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church
Lafayette College trustees
19th-century American clergy