The Rev. James Roscoe Day, D.D., L.L.D. (17 October 1845 – March 13, 1923) was an American

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...

minister, educator and 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 ...

Early life and education

Day was born in Whitneyville, Maine, on October 17, 1845 to Thomas and Mary Plummer Hillman Day. He attended Maine Wesleyan Seminary and then studied at

Bowdoin College Bowdoin College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Brunswick, Maine. When Bowdoin was chartered in 1794, Maine was still a part of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The college offers 34 majors and 36 minors, as well as several joint eng ...

but had to stop due to poor health; he eventually received his degree in 1874. He married Anna E. Richards of

Auburn, Maine Auburn is a city in south-central Maine within the United States. The city serves as the county seat of Androscoggin County. The population was 24,061 at the 2020 census. Auburn and its sister city Lewiston are known locally as the Twin Cities ...

in 1873. In 1872, he was ordained a minister of the

Methodist Episcopal Church The Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) was the oldest and largest Methodist denomination in the United States from its founding in 1784 until 1939. It was also the first religious denomination in the US to organize itself on a national basis. In ...

and served as a

pastor A pastor (abbreviated as "Pr" or "Ptr" , or "Ps" ) is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and ...

Bath, Maine Bath is a city in Sagadahoc County, Maine, in the United States. The population was 8,766 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Sagadahoc County, which includes one city and 10 towns. The city is popular with tourists, many drawn by its ...

, from 1872 to 1874;

Portland, Maine Portland is the largest city in the U.S. state of Maine and the seat of Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 in April 2020. The Greater Portland metropolitan area is home to over half a million people, the 104th-largest metropol ...

, from 1876 to 1878; Boston, Massachusetts, from 1881 to 1882;

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, 1883 to 1885 and 1889 to 1893.

Syracuse University

Day was elected as the fourth chancellor of Syracuse University on Nov. 16, 1893 to succeed

Charles N. Sims Charles N. Sims (May 18, 1835 – March 27, 1908) was an American Methodist Episcopal Church, Methodist preacher and the third chancellor of Syracuse University, serving from 1881 to 1893. Sims Hall and Sims drive on the Syracuse campus is named ...

. He was elected

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

in 1904, but declined the post to stay at Syracuse. Day is credited with helping to greatly expand the University as several important buildings were constructed during his tenure including the

Archbold Gymnasium Archbold Gymnasium is a gymnasium located on the campus of Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York. History It was built in 1908 with money donated by John Dustin Archbold, a major benefactor of the university, who also funded the building o ...

, Bowne Hall, Carnegie Library, Goldstein Faculty Center, Lyman Hall, Machinery Hall, Slocum Hall, Sims Hall, Smith Hall, Steel Hall and the Tolley Administration Building. He retired from the presidency on July 14, 1922. To date, Day was the longest-serving chancellor of the University.

Writing

Day was an author and wrote ''The Raid on Prosperity'' (1907) and ''My Neighbor the Workingman''.

Death

Day died in

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.

, on March 13, 1923.

References

External links

"Chancellor James Roscoe Day Papers,"
Syracuse University Archives
Obituary
''The New York Times'', March 13, 1923. {{DEFAULTSORT:Day, James Roscoe 19th-century American male writers People from Washington County, Maine Presidents of Syracuse University Methodists from Maine 1845 births 1923 deaths New York State College of Forestry 19th-century American non-fiction writers