James Evans Rhoads (18281895) from

Marple Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania Marple Township is a township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. It contains the census designated place of Broomall. The population was 23,743 at 2015. ZIP codes include mainly 19008, but also partially 19064 and 19063. The towns ...

was an American educator and administrator, president of

Bryn Mawr College Bryn Mawr College ( ; Welsh: ) is a women's liberal arts college in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Founded as a Quaker institution in 1885, Bryn Mawr is one of the Seven Sister colleges, a group of elite, historically women's colleges in the United ...

Biography

At the founding of Bryn Mawr College, Rhoads was named Vice-President (Frances T. King was the first President). However, Rhoads became president in 1884 before Bryn Mawr was officially inaugurated on September 23, 1885.James E. Rhoads, first president of Bryn Mawr College (1884-1894)
Bryn Mawr College Rhoads helped establish Bryn Mawr as an internationally respected, non-denominational school. It was the first higher education institution to offer graduate degrees, including

doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''li ...

s, to women. The first class included 36 undergraduate women and eight graduate students. At the founding Rhoads gave a brief speech honoring Joseph W. Taylor, Bryn Mawr's founder. Rhoads served until 1894. James E. Rhoads Hall was named after him.James E. Rhoads Hall
Historic Campus Architecture Project Prior to serving as President of Bryn Mawr, Rhoads was an active advocate for the social and educational rights of African Americans and Native Americans. He was a founder of the Hampton Institute (later Hampton University) in Virginia and co-founded the

Indian Rights Association The Indian Rights Association (IRA) was a social activist group dedicated to the well being and acculturation of American Indians. Founded by non-Indians in Philadelphia in 1882, the group was highly influential in American Indian policy through ...

in 1882.

M. Carey Thomas Martha Carey Thomas (January 2, 1857 – December 2, 1935) was an American educator, suffragist, and linguist. She was the second president of Bryn Mawr College, a women's liberal arts college in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Biography Early life ...

followed him as president of the college (prior to becoming President of Bryn Mawr College, Thomas served as the Dean of the Faculty).

References

1828 births 1895 deaths People from Marple Township, Pennsylvania Educators from Pennsylvania Presidents of Bryn Mawr College University of Pennsylvania alumni Union College (New York) alumni 19th-century American educators {{US-academic-administrator-stub