Arthur Jeremiah Roberts (October 11, 1867 – 1927) was the 14th President of

Colby College Colby College is a private liberal arts college in Waterville, Maine. It was founded in 1813 as the Maine Literary and Theological Institution, then renamed Waterville College after the city where it resides. The donations of Christian philanthr ...

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

from 1908–1927, notable for being the first non-preacher president of the school. He guided the college through its first centennial celebration and

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

.Mayflower Hill: A History of Colby College. Earl Smith, University Press of New England, 2006. Page 32

Early life

Roberts was born in

Waterboro, Maine Waterboro is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 7,936 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Portland– South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area. The town includes the districts of North (0406 ...

, to Albert and Evelyn Roberts. He was educated at Alfred High School in

Alfred, Maine Alfred is a town in York County, Maine, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 3,073. Alfred is the seat of York County and home to part of the Massabesic Experimental Forest. National Register of Historic Places has two l ...

, and Limerick Academy in

Limerick, Maine Limerick (pronounced "LIM-rick") is a town in York County, Maine, United States. It is part of the Portland– South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area. The population was 3,188 at the 2020 census. History This ...

, before attending

in the fall of 1886 along with a class of 32 other students.

Career

Upon graduating in 1890, Colby College elected him the

assistant professor Assistant Professor is an academic rank just below the rank of an associate professor used in universities or colleges, mainly in the United States and Canada. Overview This position is generally taken after earning a doctoral degree and general ...

rhetoric Rhetoric () is the art of persuasion, which along with grammar and logic (or dialectic), is one of the three ancient arts of discourse. Rhetoric aims to study the techniques writers or speakers utilize to inform, persuade, or motivate parti ...

.Soule, Bertha Louise, "Colby's President Roberts" (1943). Colby e-Books. Book 2 In 1894, he was promoted to professor of English. In 1895, he married Ms. Ada Louise Peabody. In 1900, he studied one year at

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

and received a

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

Presidency

In 1908, he was promoted to

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 ...

. During his presidency, two new dormitories were constructed, in 1912 and 1915. He led the Centennial Fund, which by 1920 had raised $450,000 in pledges and an additional $125,000 from the

General Education Board The General Education Board was a private organization which was used primarily to support higher education and medical schools in the United States, and to help rural white and black schools in the South, as well as modernize farming practices i ...

, for which Roberts had specially applied. His term also saw the creation and dissolution of the Students Army Training Corps at Colby in conjunction with

. While at Colby, he was elected as a director of the

Maine Central Railroad Company The Maine Central Railroad Company was a U. S. Class I railroad in central and southern Maine. It was chartered in 1856 and began operations in 1862. By 1884, Maine Central was the longest railroad in New England. Maine Central had expanded to w ...

. He was known alternatively as "Old Rob" and "Prexy Roberts".

Published works

*''Footprints'', Published by Colby College in 1928

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Roberts, Arthur J. 1867 births 1956 deaths Colby College alumni Columbia University faculty Colby College faculty Presidents of Colby College Harvard University alumni People from Waterboro, Maine