George Thacher (July 25, 1817 – December 27, 1878) was the fifth President of the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is org ...

, serving from 1871 to 1877. Thacher, son of Peter and Anne (Parks) Thacher, was born in Hartford, Conn., July 25, 1817. He was the brother of Yale Administrator & Professor of Latin

Thomas Anthony Thacher Thomas Anthony Thacher (January 11, 1815 – April 7, 1886) was an American classicist and college administrator. Early life Thomas A. Thacher was born in Hartford, Connecticut, the son of Anne (née Parks) and Peter Thacher. His first America ...

He graduated from

Yale College Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...

in 1840. He studied for three years in the

Yale Divinity School Yale Divinity School (YDS) is one of the twelve graduate and professional schools of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Congregationalist theological education was the motivation at the founding of Yale, and the professional school has ...

, and began preaching in June, 1843, in the Congregational Church in Derby, Conn., where he was ordained pastor, Jan. 4, 1844. From this charge he was dismissed, Oct. 10, 1848, to accept a call to the Congregational Church in Nantucket, Mass., over which he was settled from Nov. 14, 1848, to May 14, 1850. He was then installed, May 26, 1850, over the Allen St. Presbyterian Church in New York City, of which he continued pastor until his resignation, Oct. 9, 1854. His succeeding pastorates were the 1st Congregational Church, Meriden, Conn. (Nov. 16, 1854-Sept. 18, 1860), and the Orthodox Congregational Church,

Keokuk, Iowa Keokuk is a city in and a county seat of Lee County, Iowa, United States, along with Fort Madison. It is Iowa's southernmost city. The population was 9,900 at the time of the 2020 census. The city is named after the Sauk chief Keokuk, who is ...

(Oct 30, 1860—Apr 8, 1867). He then spent some months in Europe, and in October, 1868, took temporary charge of the church in

Waterloo, Iowa Waterloo is a city in and the county seat of Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census the population was 67,314, making it the eighth-largest city in the state. The city is part of the Waterloo – Cedar Falls ...

. From this service he was called to the Presidency of the State University of Iowa, which office he filled from April, 1871, till June, 1877. He then took charge of the Congregational Church in

Iowa City Iowa City, offically the City of Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. It is the home of the University of Iowa and county seat of Johnson County, at the center of the Iowa City Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the time ...

, but the state of his health, which had caused his resignation of the presidency, put an end to his public work in the following March. He returned shortly after to the East, to die among his kindred. He died in Hartford of disease of the brain, and heart, Dec. 27, 1878, aged 61 years. He was married, in April, 1844, to Sarah M., daughter of Rev. Noah Smith (Dartmouth Coll. 1818), of South Britain, Conn. After her death (July 12, 1850), he was married, Aug. 27, 1851, to her younger sister, Mary S. Smith, who survived him. His children—two by the first marriage, and one by the second— died before him. The degree of

Doctor of Divinity 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 ran ...

was conferred on him, both by Knox College and by

Iowa College Grinnell College is a private liberal arts college in Grinnell, Iowa, United States. It was founded in 1846 when a group of New England Congregationalists established the Trustees of Iowa College. Grinnell has the fifth highest endowment-to-stu ...

, in 1871.

External links

''Iowa Alumni Magazine'' profile
Presidents of the University of Iowa 1817 births 1878 deaths Educators from Hartford, Connecticut Yale Divinity School alumni American Congregationalist ministers American Presbyterian ministers Yale College alumni 19th-century American educators 19th-century American clergy {{US-academic-administrator-1810s-stub