John Charles Burroughs (December 7, 1818 – April 21, 1892) was an American educator from

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. A graduate of Yale University, Burroughs was the first President of the

Old University of Chicago The Old University of Chicago was the legal name given in 1890 to the University of Chicago's first incorporation. The school, founded in 1856 by Baptist church leaders, was originally called the "University of Chicago" (or, interchangeably, "Ch ...

in Chicago, Illinois, serving from 1859 to 1873. He then served as the school's chancellor until 1877. He was later Assistant Superintendent of Schools for Chicago.

Biography

John C. Burroughs was born in Stamford, New York on December 7, 1818. He descended from Puritan preacher

Jeremiah Burroughs Jeremiah Burroughs (sometimes Burroughes; 1599 – London, 13 November, 1646) was an English Congregationalist and a well-known Puritan preacher. Biography Burroughs studied at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and was graduated M.A. in 1624, bu ...

. He moved with his family to Western New York in 1821. Burroughs was raised there on the family farm, attending public schooling. When he was sixteen, the Inspector of Public School commissioned Burroughs as a teacher. He taught for four seasons, working the family farm during summers. In 1838, he moved to Medina, New York to study law. When Burroughs realized he did not have the proper background for the field, he instead pursued a classical education, studying at the Brockport Collegiate Institute and Middlebury Academy. He was admitted to Yale University as a sophomore in 1839 and graduated three years later. Burroughs took a position as Principal of the Hamilton Academy, managing the school for the next year and a half. He then entered the Madison Theological Seminary, graduating in 1846. He preached in

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for a year and then was the pastor of the Baptist Church in West Troy for five years. In 1852, he was named pastor of the First Baptist Church of Chicago, Illinois. He started publishing the ''Christian Times'' in 1854 as a Baptist newspaper for the Northwest.

Shurtleff College Shurtleff College was a Baptist liberal arts school in Alton, Illinois until 1957. History Founded in 1827 by Reverend John Mason Peck (a Baptist missionary) as Rock Spring Seminary in St. Clair County, Illinois, and relocated to Alton, Illino ...

in Alton, Illinois offered Burroughs the college presidency, but Burroughs declined. Later in 1854, Burroughs worked with United States Senator

Stephen A. Douglas Stephen Arnold Douglas (April 23, 1813 – June 3, 1861) was an American politician and lawyer from Illinois. A senator, he was one of two nominees of the badly split Democratic Party for president in the 1860 presidential election, which wa ...

to establish the original University of Chicago. When the school was completed in 1856, Burroughs was elected its first President, though he declined to serve. The same year, the University of Rochester awarded Burroughs an honorary

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 ...

degree. However, when

Francis Wayland Francis Wayland (March 11, 1796 – September 30, 1865), was an American Baptist minister, educator and economist. He was president of Brown University and pastor of the First Baptist Church in America in Providence, Rhode Island. In Washingto ...

, a former

President of Brown University The following is a list of presidents of Brown University From 1765 to the 1920s, the president was required by the University Charter to be of the Baptist denomination: References {{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Presidents Of Brown University * Br ...

that was Burroughs' choice for president, declined the offer in 1859, Burroughs accepted the presidency. Burroughs was one of three professors when the university opened to students. Burroughs resigned on December 30, 1873 and was succeeded by James Rood Doolittle. Burroughs was named

chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

of the institution and served this role until 1877. In 1881, Burroughs was named to the

Chicago Board of Education The Chicago Board of Education serves as the board of education (school board) for the Chicago Public Schools. The board traces its origins to the Board of School Inspectors, created in 1837. The board is currently appointed solely by the mayor ...

, serving as Assistant Superintendent of Schools from 1884 until his death. Burroughs supported fundraising efforts for the erection of the current University of Chicago in 1889. Burroughs married Elvira S. Fields, Principal of the Ladies' Seminary at Hamilton Academy, in 1843. He died on April 21, 1892. John C. Burroughs Elementary School in Brighton Park, Chicago was named in his honor.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Burroughs, John C. 1818 births 1892 deaths Heads of universities and colleges in the United States Baptist ministers from the United States Educators from Illinois Old University of Chicago People from Stamford, New York Yale University alumni Baptists from New York (state) Members of the Chicago Board of Education 19th-century American educators 19th-century American clergy