Harold Claude Case (1902 – February 20, 1972) was an American academic administrator and
Methodist
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's ...
preacher. He served as president of
Boston University
Boston University (BU) is a Private university, private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with ...
from 1951 to 1967 and was later named acting president of
Whittier College
Whittier College (Whittier Academy (1887–1901)) is a private liberal arts college in Whittier, California. It is a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and, as of fall 2022, had approximately 1,300 (undergraduate and graduate) students. It was ...
.
Biography
Born in
Cottonwood Falls, Kansas
Cottonwood Falls is the largest city and county seat of Chase County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 851. It is located south of Strong City along the south side of the Cottonwood River.
Histor ...
, Case earned degrees from
Baker University
Baker University is a private university in Baldwin City, Kansas. Founded in 1858, it was the first four-year university in Kansas and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Baker University is made up of four schools. The College of Ar ...
and the
Boston University School of Theology
Boston University School of Theology (BUSTH) is the oldest theological seminary of American Methodism and the founding school of Boston University, the largest private research university in New England. It is one of thirteen theological school ...
. He also studied at
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world.
Charte ...
and
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 high ...
.
[ After his ordination, he led congregations in Glencoe, Illinois, Pasadena, California, ]Topeka, Kansas
Topeka ( ; Kansa: ; iow, Dópikˀe, script=Latn or ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the seat of Shawnee County. It is along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, in northeast Kansas, in the Central U ...
, and Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Lackawanna County. With a population of 76,328 as of the 2020 U.S. census, Scranton is the largest city in Northeastern Pennsylvania, the Wyoming V ...
.[ Case was named Boston University president on January 16, 1951,] and inaugurated on June 3. During his sixteen years in office, dorms were expanded in West Campus. Other construction projects included the building of the Warren Towers
Warren Towers is one of the three Boston University dormitories traditionally intended for underclassmen, the others being The Towers and West Campus. The building is located at central campus, next to the College of Communication (COM) and a ...
, the BU Law Tower, the George Sherman Union
The George Sherman Union (GSU) is the student union building at Boston University and Boston University Academy. The Brutalist-styled building opened in Spring 1963. When it opened, the Union had a 10-lane bowling alley in its basement. The buil ...
, the Mugar Memorial Library
The Mugar Memorial Library is the primary library for study, teaching, and research in the humanities and social sciences for Boston University. It was opened in 1966. Stephen P. Mugar, an Armenian immigrant who was successful in the grocery ...
, and the Boston Medical Center
Boston Medical Center (BMC) is a non-profit 514-bed academic medical center in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest safety-net hospital and Level I trauma center in New England.
BMC employs 1,466 physicians—including 711 residents and f ...
. In total, Case oversaw the construction of 68 buildings. Along with a desire to transform Boston University into a leading research institution, Case further changed campus culture from one that primarily attracted male, commuter students, to one that became more gender-integrated and residential. Boston University established the Harold C. Case Scholarship in his honor upon Case's retirement in 1967. Case Gym
Case Gym is a 1,800-seat multi-purpose arena at Boston University in Boston, Massachusetts. It opened in 1972 as part of the Harold Case Physical Education Center, which is named after the university's fifth president, Harold C. Case.
The gym ...
, constructed in 1972, was named in his honor. In 1970, Case was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) degree from Whittier College
Whittier College (Whittier Academy (1887–1901)) is a private liberal arts college in Whittier, California. It is a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and, as of fall 2022, had approximately 1,300 (undergraduate and graduate) students. It was ...
.
After a one-year stint at Whittier College
Whittier College (Whittier Academy (1887–1901)) is a private liberal arts college in Whittier, California. It is a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and, as of fall 2022, had approximately 1,300 (undergraduate and graduate) students. It was ...
, Case traveled to Africa and Asia, giving talks on educational problems facing new schools. He died at his home in Annisquam, Massachusetts on February 20, 1972, aged 69.[
Case was married to Phyllis Kirk, with whom he had two children, Harold Robert and Rosanna Case.]
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Case, Harold C.
1902 births
1972 deaths
People from Cottonwood Falls, Kansas
Presidents of Boston University
Whittier College faculty
Baker University alumni
Boston University School of Theology alumni
Northwestern University alumni
Harvard University alumni
American Methodist clergy
People from Gloucester, Massachusetts
Presidents of Whittier College
20th-century American clergy
20th-century American academics