Alfred Ryors (June 23, 1812–May 8, 1858) served as the second president of

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universi ...

and the fifth president of

Ohio University Ohio University is a public research university in Athens, Ohio. The first university chartered by an Act of Congress and the first to be chartered in Ohio, the university was chartered in 1787 by the Congress of the Confederation and subseq ...

Early life and education

Born June 23, 1812 in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, Ryors was orphaned at an early age. He lived with family friends until 1823, when he began studying with the Presbyterian Church in preparation for ministry. In 1831, he entered Jefferson College,

Canonsburg, Pennsylvania Canonsburg is a borough in Washington County, Pennsylvania, southwest of Pittsburgh. Canonsburg was laid out by Colonel John Canon in 1789 and incorporated in 1802. The population was 9,735 at the 2020 census. The town lies in a rich coal distr ...

, where he studied for two years before leaving to teach Latin and Greek in the School of C.J. Halderman, at

Bristol, Pennsylvania Bristol is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located northeast of Center City Philadelphia, opposite Burlington, New Jersey on the Delaware River. It antedates Philadelphia, being settled in 1681 and first incorpora ...

. He returned to Jefferson College in 1834 and graduated in 1835.

Professional Background

Upon receipt of his degree, Ryors accepted an appointment as Principal of the Academic Department in

Lafayette College Lafayette College is a private liberal arts college in Easton, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter and other citizens in Easton, the college first held classes in 1832. The founders voted to name the college after General Laf ...

Easton, Pennsylvania Easton is a city in, and the county seat of, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city's population was 28,127 as of the 2020 census. Easton is located at the confluence of the Lehigh River, a river that joins the Delaware R ...

, a position he held for one year before moving on to

, where he taught mathematics. He remained in Ohio until 1843, when he accepted a professorship at

, again teaching mathematics. Here he stayed until 1848, when he returned to Ohio University to serve as its president.

Tenure at Indiana University

Faced with the death of its first president in 1851, Indiana University sought to fill the presidency with Ryors. Ryors accepted, resigned his position at Ohio University and returned to Bloomington the fall of 1852. Disappointed with conditions at the university, Ryors resigned in 1853 and went on to become professor of mathematics at

Centre College Centre College is a private liberal arts college in Danville, Kentucky. It is an undergraduate college with an enrollment of approximately 1,400 students. Centre was officially chartered by the Kentucky General Assembly in 1819. The college is a ...

in Danville, Kentucky, a position he held until his death in 1858.

Notes

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ryors, Alfred Presidents of Ohio University 1812 births 1858 deaths Centre College faculty Washington & Jefferson College alumni Indiana University faculty Ohio University faculty People from Danville, Kentucky Presidents of Indiana University