William Pratt Graham (November 24, 1871 – January 10, 1962) was an electrical engineering professor and the sixth chancellor of

Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...

. Graham was the first alumnus of Syracuse as well as the first non-clergyman to hold that position.

Biography

Graham was born to Jerome Bonaparte Graham, a veteran of the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, and Sylvia Aurelia Graham in

Oswego, New York Oswego () is a city in Oswego County, New York, United States. The population was 16,921 at the 2020 census. Oswego is located on Lake Ontario in Upstate New York, about 35 miles (55km) northwest of Syracuse. It promotes itself as "The Port C ...

. Graham entered Syracuse University as an

undergraduate Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, in the United States, an entry-lev ...

in 1889 and graduated in 1893 before pursuing

postgraduate Postgraduate or graduate education refers to academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate ( bachelor's) degree. The organization and stru ...

work at the

University of Berlin Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (german: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, abbreviated HU Berlin) is a German public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin. It was established by Frederick William III on the initiative o ...

, graduating with a

Doctor of Philosophy A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common Academic degree, degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields ...

in 1897. He joined the faculty of Syracuse as an

electrical engineering Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems which use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...

professor in 1898, after spending the intervening period studying the subject at Technische Universität Darmstadt, and he was made dean of the College of Applied Science in 1912. Graham served as the vice-chancellor to

Charles Wesley Flint Charles Wesley Flint was an American bishop in the Methodist Church, elected in 1936. Prior to his election to the episcopacy, he was involved in educational work. He was the president of Cornell College in Iowa (1915–22), then was the fif ...

before succeeding him as chancellor in 1937, a position Graham intended to hold only until a successor was found. Graham retired from the university in 1942 when

William Pearson Tolley William Pearson Tolley (September 13, 1900 – January 26, 1996) was an American academic. Biography Born in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, he grew up in Binghamton, New York. He was valedictorian of his high school class. He graduated from Syracus ...

was elected chancellor. He died in

Syracuse, New York Syracuse ( ) is a City (New York), city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, Onondaga County, New York, United States. It is the fifth-most populous city in the state of New York following New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffa ...

in 1962.

Bibliography

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Graham, William Pratt Presidents of Syracuse University 1871 births 1962 deaths Syracuse University alumni