William Rainey Harper (July 24, 1856 – January 10, 1906) was an American academic leader, an accomplished
semiticist
Semitic studies, or Semitology, is the academic field dedicated to the studies of Semitic languages and literatures and the history of the Semitic-speaking peoples. A person may be called a ''Semiticist'' or a ''Semitist'', both terms being equi ...
, and
Baptist
Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...
clergyman. Harper helped to establish both the
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...
and
Bradley University
Bradley University is a private university in Peoria, Illinois. Founded in 1897, Bradley University enrolls 5,400 students who are pursuing degrees in more than 100 undergraduate programs and more than 30 graduate programs in five colleges. The ...
and served as the first president of both institutions.
Early life
Harper was born on July 24, 1856, in
New Concord, Ohio
New Concord is a village in Muskingum County, Ohio, United States. The population is 2,491 as of the 2010 census. New Concord is the home of Muskingum University and is served by a branch of the Muskingum County Library System.
History
New Co ...
,
[The original log cabin that was William Rainey Harper’s birthplace has been preserved and is located in ]New Concord, Ohio
New Concord is a village in Muskingum County, Ohio, United States. The population is 2,491 as of the 2010 census. New Concord is the home of Muskingum University and is served by a branch of the Muskingum County Library System.
History
New Co ...
, across from the main gate of Muskingum College
Muskingum University is a private liberal arts college in New Concord, Ohio. Chartered in 1837 as Muskingum College, the institution is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA).
Collectively, the university's alumni are referred to as th ...
. to parents of Irish-Scottish ancestry.
Very early in his life, Harper displayed skills years ahead of other children of his age, and he was labeled a
child prodigy
A child prodigy is defined in psychology research literature as a person under the age of ten who produces meaningful output in some domain at the level of an adult expert. The term is also applied more broadly to young people who are extraor ...
. By the age of eight, Harper began preparing for
college
A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering ...
-level courses. At the age of ten he enrolled in
Muskingum College
Muskingum University is a private liberal arts college in New Concord, Ohio. Chartered in 1837 as Muskingum College, the institution is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA).
Collectively, the university's alumni are referred to as th ...
in his native New Concord, Ohio. At the age of fourteen, he graduated from Muskingum College. In 1872, Harper enrolled in
Yale University
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...
to begin his postgraduate studies, and he completed these in 1876. Harper quickly assumed a series of faculty positions, including ones at
Denison University
Denison University is a private liberal arts college in Granville, Ohio. One of the earliest colleges established in the former Northwest Territory, Denison University was founded in 1831. The college was first called the Granville Literary and ...
and Yale University. Throughout his academic life, Harper wrote numerous textbooks. A strong supporter of lifelong learning, Harper was also involved with the
Chautauqua Institution
The Chautauqua Institution ( ) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit education center and summer resort for adults and youth located on in Chautauqua, New York, northwest of Jamestown in the Western Southern Tier of New York State. Established in 1874, the ...
in
Chautauqua, New York
Chautauqua ( ) is a town and lake resort community in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The population was 4,017 at the 2020 census. The town is named after Chautauqua Lake. It is the home of the Chautauqua Institution and the birthplac ...
, and its academic programs starting in 1883.
Personal life
William Rainey Harper married Ella Paul Harper in 1875. They were the parents of three sons, Samuel Northrup, Paul, and Donald, and one daughter, Davida.
As University of Chicago president
In 1891,
John D. Rockefeller
John Davison Rockefeller Sr. (July 8, 1839 – May 23, 1937) was an American business magnate and philanthropist. He has been widely considered the wealthiest American of all time and the richest person in modern history. Rockefeller was ...
selected thirty-five-year-old Harper to assist in organizing the
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...
, and shortly thereafter, he was selected as the university's first
president
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
. Harper also had expert knowledge of every department of education as well as business acumen, and he was a very powerful public speaker.
In hiring the faculty of the new
university
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
and selecting its students, Harper set standards quite high. Harper elevated the salaries of the faculty members above those of ordinary schoolteachers, and by doing so attracted the best scholars of all disciplines to the university.
Academic innovations
Harper founded the nation's first departments of
Egyptology
Egyptology (from ''Egypt'' and Greek , '' -logia''; ar, علم المصريات) is the study of ancient Egyptian history, language, literature, religion, architecture and art from the 5th millennium BC until the end of its native religious ...
and
sociology
Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of Empirical ...
at Chicago and established the
University of Chicago Press
The University of Chicago Press is the largest and one of the oldest university presses in the United States. It is operated by the University of Chicago and publishes a wide variety of academic titles, including ''The Chicago Manual of Style'', ...
. He also instituted the nation's first extension school, enabling those who worked during the day to attend classes at night and on weekends. Harper is also attributed with first organizing the academic quarter system on behalf of John D. Rockefeller in 1891. One of Harper's ideas, that many would benefit by taking the first two years of college in their hometowns, led to the founding of
American community colleges.
In the 1890s, Harper, fearful that the vast resources of the University of Chicago would injure smaller schools by drawing away good students, established an affiliation program with several regional colleges and universities, including
Des Moines College
Des is a masculine given name, mostly a short form (hypocorism) of Desmond. People named Des include:
People
* Des Buckingham, English football manager
* Des Corcoran, (1928–2004), Australian politician
* Des Dillon (disambiguation), severa ...
,
Kalamazoo College
Kalamazoo College, also known as Kalamazoo, K College, KC or simply K, is a private liberal arts college in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Founded in 1833 by Baptist ministers as the Michigan and Huron Institute, Kalamazoo is the oldest private college in ...
,
Butler College
Lee D. Butler College is one of the six residential colleges of Princeton University, founded in 1983. It houses about 500 freshmen and sophomores, 100 juniors and seniors, 10 Resident Graduate Students, a faculty member in residence, as well a ...
, and
Stetson University
Stetson University is a private university with four colleges and schools located across the I–4 corridor in Central Florida with the primary undergraduate campus in DeLand. The university was founded in 1883 and was later established in 1887 ...
. Under the terms of the affiliation, the schools were required to have courses of study comparable to those at the University of Chicago; to notify the University early of any contemplated faculty appointments or dismissals; to make no faculty appointment without the University of Chicago's approval; and to send copies of examinations to the University for suggestions and improvements prior to distribution. The University of Chicago agreed to confer a degree on any graduating senior from an affiliated school who made a grade of A for all four years and on any other graduate who took twelve weeks additional study at the University of Chicago. A student or faculty member of an affiliated school was entitled to free tuition at the University of Chicago, and Chicago students were eligible to attend an affiliated school on the same terms and receive credit for their work. The University of Chicago also agreed to provide affiliated schools with books and scientific apparatus and supplies at cost; to provide special instructors and lecturers without cost except travel expenses; and to provide a copy of every book and journal published by the University of Chicago Press to the libraries of the affiliated schools at no cost. The agreement provided that either party could terminate the affiliation on proper notice. Several University of Chicago professors disliked the program, as it required uncompensated additional labor from them and cheapened Chicago's academic reputation. After Harper's death in 1906, the program was gradually discontinued, and it had passed into history by 1910.
Religious education
With his background as a
Semiticist
Semitic studies, or Semitology, is the academic field dedicated to the studies of Semitic languages and literatures and the history of the Semitic-speaking peoples. A person may be called a ''Semiticist'' or a ''Semitist'', both terms being equi ...
and Baptist clergyman, Harper believed that the University's programs should include religious study. Accordingly, he arranged for the Baptist Theological Union Seminary to relocate from
Morgan Park and become the
University of Chicago Divinity School
The University of Chicago Divinity School is a private graduate institution at the University of Chicago dedicated to the training of academics and clergy across religious boundaries. Formed under Baptist auspices, the school today lacks any s ...
.
In 1903 Harper founded the
Religious Education Association
The Religious Education Association is the world’s oldest and largest association of scholars and researchers in the field of religious education. It is a nonprofit member association, serving as a professional and learned society for scholars ...
.
Other activities
While at University of Chicago, Harper chaired a mayoral commission responsible for reorganizing
Chicago Public Schools
Chicago Public Schools (CPS), officially classified as City of Chicago School District #299 for funding and districting reasons, in Chicago, Illinois, is the third-largest school district in the United States, after New York and Los Angeles.
...
and standardizing the system's curriculum. Harper, being opposed to the employment of women as teachers (which had resulted from the reforms of
Horace Mann
Horace Mann (May 4, 1796August 2, 1859) was an American educational reformer, slavery abolitionist and Whig politician known for his commitment to promoting public education. In 1848, after public service as Secretary of the Massachusetts Sta ...
), moved to block a raise for female teachers and encourage the selective hiring of men. (When female teachers complained about this, Harper replied that they should be glad they earned as much as his wife's maid.) The ensuing dispute contributed to the organizing of the
Chicago Teachers Federation
The Chicago Teachers Federation was a teachers union in Chicago Illinois that was founded in 1897. It is considered a predecessor of today's Chicago Teachers Union.
History
The Chicago Teachers Federation was an organization of women elementar ...
, the precursor to the
Chicago Teachers Union
The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) is a labor union that represents teachers, paraprofessionals, and clinicians in the Chicago public school system. The union has consistently fought for improved pay, benefits, and job security for its members, an ...
.
In 1896, Harper assisted
Lydia Moss Bradley in founding
Bradley Polytechnic Institute in
Peoria, Illinois
Peoria ( ) is the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, United States, and the largest city on the Illinois River. As of the United States Census, 2020, 2020 census, the city had a population of 113,150. It is the principal city of the Peoria ...
. Now known as Bradley University, Harper served as its first president.
Death and legacy
Harper died on January 10, 1906, of cancer at age 49. He and his wife are interred at
Rockefeller Memorial Chapel
Rockefeller Chapel is a Gothic Revival chapel on the campus of the University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois. A monumental example of Collegiate Gothic architecture, it was meant by patron John D. Rockefeller to be the "central and dominant fea ...
on campus at the University of Chicago.
William Rainey Harper College, a
community college
A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an "open enrollment" for students who have graduated from high school (also known as senior sec ...
located in
Palatine, Illinois, honors him. He is also the namesake of
Harper High School and Harper Avenue in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
. An elementary school in
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
is named for him as well.
Published works
* ''Introductory Hebrew Method and Manual'' (1886)
''An Inductive Greek Method'' (1888) (co-written by William E. Waters)''An Inductive Greek Primer'' (1893) (co-written by Clarence Castle)''An Inductive Latin Method'' (co-written by Isaac Burgess)* ''Elements of Hebrew Syntax By an Inductive Method'' (1888)
* ''Eight Books Of Caesar's Gallic War'' (1891)
* ''Young Folks Library: Leaders of Men or History Told in Biography ''(Editor-1891)
*
The Foreshadowings of the Christ'
*
The Prophetic Element in the Old Testament'
*
The Priestly Element in the Old Testament'
* ''Xenophon's Anabasis Seven Books'' (1893)
*
Religion and the Higher Life' (1904)
* ''The Prophetic Element In The Old Testament: An Aid To Historical Study For Use In Advanced Bible Classes'' (1905)
*
A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Amos and Hosea' (1905)
''The Biblical world, Volume 53'' (1919)*
Inductive Bible Studies; Samuel, Saul, David and Solomon'
See also
*
Sherwood Eddy
George Sherwood Eddy (1871–1963) was a leading American Protestant missionary, administrator and educator. He was a prolific author and indefatigable traveler. His main achievement was to link and finance networks of intellectuals across the glo ...
Notes
References
External links
*
Biography of William Rainey Harperat the
William Rainey Harper College web site
Flyer from the Board of Trustees of the University of Chicago regarding the establishment of the William Rainey Harper Memorial Fund. Chicago, March 1, 1906from the
American Memory
American Memory is an internet-based archive for public domain image resources, as well as Sound recording, audio, video, and archived Web content. Published by the Library of Congress, the archive launched on October 13, 1994, after $13 million w ...
collection at the
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...
Guide to the William Rainey Harper Papers 1872-1938at th
University of Chicago Special Collections Research CenterGuide to the University of Chicago Office of the President, Harper, Judson and Burton Administrations Records 1869-1925at th
University of Chicago Special Collections Research Center
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harper, William Rainey
1856 births
1906 deaths
Presidents of the University of Chicago
University of Chicago faculty
People from New Concord, Ohio
Muskingum University alumni
Academics from Ohio
Yale University alumni
Denison University faculty
Deaths from cancer in Illinois