Harlan Page Amen (; April 14, 1853 – November 9, 1913) was an American

educator A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. whe ...

and the seventh principal of

Phillips Exeter Academy (not for oneself) la, Finis Origine Pendet (The End Depends Upon the Beginning) gr, Χάριτι Θεοῦ (By the Grace of God) , location = 20 Main Street , city = Exeter, New Hampshire , zipcode ...

Biography

Harlan Amen was born in

Sinking Spring, Ohio Sinking Spring is a village (United States)#Ohio, village in Highland County, Ohio, Highland County, Ohio, United States. The population was 118 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. History A post office called Sinking Spring has been ...

, in April 1853, to Daniel and Sarah J. (Barber) Amen. He was born into a poor family, and had to make an earning working as a clerk at a bookstore. He attended high school in

Portsmouth, Ohio Portsmouth is a city in and the county seat of Scioto County, Ohio, United States. Located in southern Ohio south of Chillicothe, it lies on the north bank of the Ohio River, across from Kentucky, just east of the mouth of the Scioto River. ...

, then attended Exeter, where he befriended his roommate and future president of

Bowdoin College Bowdoin College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Brunswick, Maine. When Bowdoin was chartered in 1794, Maine was still a part of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The college offers 34 majors and 36 minors, as well as several joint eng ...

William De Witt Hyde William De Witt Hyde (September 23, 1858 – June 29, 1917) was an Americans, American educator and academic administrator who served as the president of Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine for thirty-two years, from 1885 to his death in 1917. Bi ...

, entering in 1871. He sustained himself during his education by working as a tutor, among other jobs. In his senior year, he was awarded the $120 Gordon scholarship. He then went on to

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

, graduating in 1879. Immediately after graduating, he began work at Riverview Military Academy in

Poughkeepsie, New York Poughkeepsie ( ), officially the City of Poughkeepsie, separate from the Town of Poughkeepsie around it) is a city in the U.S. state of New York. It is the county seat of Dutchess County, with a 2020 census population of 31,577. Poughkeepsi ...

, where he became principal. He took a four month leave in 1892 to visit prestigious public schools in England, including

Eton Eton most commonly refers to Eton College, a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. Eton may also refer to: Places *Eton, Berkshire, a town in Berkshire, England * Eton, Georgia, a town in the United States * Éton, a commune in the Meuse dep ...

, Harrow,

Rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...

, and St Paul's. In 1895, he became the principal of Exeter. Under Amen's leadership, the size of student body, the faculty body, and the enrollment tripled. Dormitories Soule Hall, Peabody Hall, Hoyt Hall and Webster Hall were built. Alumni Hall, the first dedicated dining hall, was built in 1903 and has since been renovated to house the Mayer Art Center and the

Lamont Gallery The Lamont Gallery is a non-profit art gallery located on the campus of Phillips Exeter Academy, in Exeter, New Hampshire, United States. It primarily showcases visiting exhibitions of local, national and international acclaimed artists, along wit ...

. The library, previously housed in the Academy Building, was moved to the Davis Library, funds for which were willed by Benjamin Price Davis '62 in 1907. During his time at Exeter, he was also involved in the founding of

Fessenden School The Fessenden School is an independent day (Pre-K – Grade 9) and boarding school (Grades 5 – 9) for boys, founded in 1903 by Frederick J. Fessenden as a school for the intellectually gifted, and located at 250 Waltham Street, West Newton, ...

, encouraging the founder, Frederick Fessenden, to purchase the plot of land on which the school sits. He remained principal until his death in October 1913. Amen was married to Mary Brown Rawson on April 5, 1882, with whom he had one son, John Harlen Amen, a lawyer and the Nuremberg Prison Chief interrogator, and three daughters: Margaret R., Elizabeth W. and R. Perne Amen. He was awarded an honorary

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

degree by

Williams College Williams College is a Private college, private liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It was established as a men's college in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams, a col ...

in 1886, and a

Doctor of Letters Doctor of Letters (D.Litt., Litt.D., Latin: ' or ') is a terminal degree in the humanities that, depending on the country, is a higher doctorate after the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree or equivalent to a higher doctorate, such as the Doctor ...

degree by

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 ...

in 1911. He died on November 9, 1913 in

Exeter Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...

, and was 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 ...

. Amen Hall at Exeter is named for him.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Amen, Harlan Phillips Exeter Academy alumni Phillips Exeter Academy faculty 19th-century American educators Harvard University alumni 1853 births 1913 deaths