Charles Kendall Adams
portrait by John Colin Forbes
8th President of University of Wisconsin–Madison
In office
January 17, 1893 (1893-01-17) – October 11, 1901 (1901-10-11)
Preceded byThomas Chrowder Chamberlin
Succeeded byEdward Birge
2nd President of Cornell University
In office
November 19, 1885 (1885-11-19) – November 11, 1892 (1892-11-11)
Preceded byAndrew Dickson White
Succeeded byJacob Gould Schurman
Personal details
Born(1835-01-24)January 24, 1835
Derby, Vermont, U.S.
DiedJuly 26, 1902(1902-07-26) (aged 67)
Redlands, California, U.S.
Spouse
​
(m. 1890)​
Alma materUniversity of Michigan (BA, MA)

Charles Kendall Adams (January 24, 1835 – July 26, 1902) was an American educator and historian. He served as the second president of Cornell University from 1885 until 1892, and as president of the University of Wisconsin from 1892 until 1901. At Cornell he established a new law school, built a library, and appointed eminent research professors for the Ivy League school. At Wisconsin, he negotiated ever-increasing appropriations from the state legislature, especially for new buildings such as the library. He was the editor-in-chief of Johnson's Universal Cyclopaedia (1892–1895),[1] and of the successor Universal Cyclopaedia (1900), sometimes referred to as Appleton's Universal Cyclopaedia.

Biography

He was born on January 24, 1835, in Derby, Vermont, and he attended the common schools in that place till 1855, when, with his parents, he emigrated to Denmark, Iowa, where he entered an academy and commenced the study of Latin and Greek with the purpose of entering college.[2] In the summer of 1857 he began the classical course at the University of Michigan,[2] where he studied with Andrew Dickson White, Cornell's first president, and from where he graduated in 1861.[1]

Taking a post-graduate course of study, he was employed to teach one of the classes in history, and at the end of the year was appointed instructor of history and Latin.[2] In 1863 Adams became assistant professor of Latin and history at Michigan, a position which he held till 1867, when he became full professor of history[2] until 1885. In 1867 and 1868, was spent in Germany having studied in the universities of Bonn, Heidelberg, Leipzig, Berlin, and Munich, where his object was to observe the methods of advanced instruction; about four months were passed in Italy and France, chiefly in Rome and Paris.[2] In 1869 and 1870 established an historical seminary which proved of great value in promoting the study of history and political science. In 1881 he was made non-resident professor of history at Cornell, and in 1885 succeeded White as president of Cornell.[1][3] He was forced to resign at Cornell due to conflicts with the faculty over honorary degrees and control of faculty appointments.[4] Also in 1881, he was simultaneously invited to the presidency of the University of Kansas and the University of Nebraska, both of which positions were declined.[2]

He received the honorary degree of LL.D. from the University of Chicago in 1874, and from Harvard in 1886.[2] In 1887 Adams was elected a member of the American Antiquarian Society.[5] In 1890 he was president of the American Historical Association.[1] He resigned his professorship in May, 1892, and in July of the same year he was elected president of the University of Wisconsin, where he remained until October 11, 1901.[2] He died on July 26, 1902, in Redlands, California, where he had moved in hopes of improving his health.[6][7]

Works

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Gilman, D. C.; Peck, H. T.; Colby, F. M., eds. (1905). "Adams, Charles Kendall" . New International Encyclopedia (1st ed.). New York: Dodd, Mead.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Johnson, Rossiter, ed. (1906). "Adams, Charles Kendall". The Biographical Dictionary of America. Vol. 1. Boston: American Biographical Society. pp. 37–38. Retrieved October 22, 2020. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. ↑ "Cornell's New President". The New York Times. November 20, 1885. Retrieved July 17, 2009. The inauguration of Charles Kendall Adams as President of Cornell University was successfully carried out to-day. The day was not a pleasant one for the march from the university buildings to the armory, but all passed off well despite the clouds ...
  4. ↑ "Charles Kendall Adams Resigns" (PDF). New York Times. October 11, 1901. Retrieved July 17, 2009. The resignation of President Charles Kendall Adams is in the hands of the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin, ...
  5. ↑ American Antiquarian Society Members Directory
  6. ↑ "Charles Kendall Adams's Will" (PDF). New York Times. August 10, 1902. Retrieved July 17, 2009. The will of the late Charles Kenaall Adams, formerly President of the University of Wisconsin, who died recently at Redlands, Cal. has been filed for ...
  7. ↑ "Charles Kendall Adams (President: 1892–1901)". UW Archives and Records Management. 2015-06-04. Retrieved 2017-03-10.
  8. ↑ "Review of Manual of Historical Literature by C. K. Adams". The Academy. 23 (564): 130. 24 February 1883.

Further reading

  • Ely, Richard T. "Charles Kendall Adams." Wisconsin Alumnus (1941): 303–312.
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