James David Moffat | |
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ThirdPresident of Washington & Jefferson College | |
In office November 16, 1881 –January 1, 1915 | |
Preceded by | George P. Hays |
Succeeded by | Frederick W. Hinitt |
Personal details | |
Born | March 15,1846 New Lisbon,Ohio |
Died | November 4,1916 70) Washington,Pennsylvania | (aged
Alma mater | Washington &Jefferson College Western University of Pennsylvania University of Pennsylvania Missouri Valley College |
Salary | $7,100 per year |
James David Moffat was the 3rd president of Washington &Jefferson College. [1]
Moffat,a native of New Lisbon,Ohio,was born on March 15,1846. [1] He spent his youth in St. Clairsville,Ohio,and Bellaire,Ohio,before working as a teacher and a bookkeeper. [1] He entered Jefferson College in 1865 and graduated from Washington &Jefferson College in 1869. [1] He studied at Princeton Theological Seminary from 1869 to 1871. [1] Following ordination in 1873,he served as pastor in Wheeling,West Virginia. [1] He received three Doctor of Laws degrees,one from the Western University of Pennsylvania in 1897,another from University of Pennsylvania in 1901,and another from the Missouri Valley College in 1906. [1] Moffat received two honorary Doctor of Divinity degrees,one from Hanover College in 1882 and one from the College of New Jersey in 1883. [1]
He was elected the third president of Washington &Jefferson College on November 16,1881. [1] During his tenure,the college experienced a period of growth,including a threefold increase in the number of professors and new campus buildings. [1]
In 1884,the college purchased the land known as the "old fair ground," now used for Cameron Stadium,for the sum of $7,025. [1] The student body agreed to contribute one dollar each term to finance the purchase. [1] The college built a new gymnasium (now the Old Gym) in 1893;Hays Hall was completed in 1903;Thompson Memorial Library opened in 1905;and Thistle Physics Building was completed in 1912. [1] In 1893,the campus installed an electric lighting system. [1] In 1892,the Board of Trustees granted a request from the senior class that they be graduated in cap and gown,establishing that tradition at W&J for all future commencements. [1]
Moffat personally paid for the 1912 renovations of McMillan Hall. [2] He resigned on January 1,1915,after 33 years of service,citing his age of 68 years and the responsibilities of his office as factors in his retirement. [1] At that time,he was one of the oldest college presidents in continuous service in the country,and his salary of $7,100 made him one of the highest paid presidents in the country. He died in his home in Washington,Pennsylvania,on November 4,1916,after a short illness. [1]
Washington &Jefferson College is a private liberal arts college in Washington,Pennsylvania. The college traces its origin to three log cabin colleges in Washington County established by three Presbyterian missionaries to the American frontier in the 1780s:John McMillan,Thaddeus Dod,and Joseph Smith. These early schools eventually grew into two competing academies,with Jefferson College located in Canonsburg and Washington College located in Washington. The two colleges merged in 1865 to form Washington &Jefferson College. The 60 acre (0.2 km2) campus has more than 40 buildings,with the oldest dating to 1793.
Howard Jerome Burnett was a president of Washington &Jefferson College.
Ralph Cooper Hutchison was president of Washington &Jefferson College and Lafayette College.
Simon Strousse Baker was the 6th president of Washington &Jefferson College.
Matthew Brown was a prominent Presbyterian minister and president of Washington College and Jefferson College. Next to John McMillan,Brown was the most important figure to education in Western Pennsylvania.
John Watson was the first principal and president of and professor of moral philosophy at Jefferson College.
William McMillan was elected the fourth president of Jefferson College on September 24,1817.
George Price Hays was the 2nd president of Washington &Jefferson College.
Jonathan Edwards (1817–1891) was the first president of Washington &Jefferson College following the union of Washington College and Jefferson College.
Frederick W. Hinitt was the 4th president of Washington &Jefferson College.
Samuel Jennings Wilson was a clergyman and academic in Western Pennsylvania.
McMillan Hall is a building on the campus of Washington &Jefferson College in Washington,Pennsylvania,United States. Built in 1793,it is the only surviving building from Washington Academy. It is the eighth-oldest academic building in the United States that is still in use for its original academic purpose and is the oldest surviving college building west of the Allegheny Mountains.
The Old Gym is a historic building at Washington &Jefferson College in Washington,Pennsylvania. It currently houses a modern exercise facility featuring cardiovascular,resistance,and strength-training equipment. The building also features a three-lane indoor track suspended above the main floor.
Hays Hall was a residence hall at Washington &Jefferson College. The architectural work was performed by Frederick J. Osterling and it was named after President George P. Hays. Construction was completed in 1903 and the new "fireproof" building was opened to Washington &Jefferson Academy students. Rooms were arranged in a suite style,with communal bathrooms on each floor,and shower baths on the 5th floor. In 1912,the Academy closed and Hays Hall was used by Washington &Jefferson College students. At various times,Hays Hall housed the bookstore and a dining hall. By 1968,Hays Hall had deteriorated to the point where it no longer able to house students,but the bookstore remained. In 1982,the building was declared a fire hazard and closed for all uses. While various efforts sought to renovate or restore Hays Hall,including a push to have it named a historical landmark,Hays Hall was demolished in 1994.
The history of Washington &Jefferson College begins with three log cabin colleges established by three frontier clergymen in the 1780s:John McMillan,Thaddeus Dod,and Joseph Smith. The three men,all graduates from the College of New Jersey,came to present-day Washington County to plant churches and spread Presbyterianism to what was then the American frontier beyond the Appalachian Mountains. John McMillan,the most prominent of the three founders because of his strong personality and longevity,came to the area in 1775 and built his log cabin college in 1780 near his church in Chartiers. Thaddeus Dod,known as a keen scholar,built his log cabin college in Lower Ten Mile in 1781. Joseph Smith taught classical studies in his college,called "The Study" at Buffalo.
The relationship between the City of Washington,Pennsylvania,and Washington &Jefferson College spans over two centuries,dating to the founding of both the city and the college in the 1780s. The relationship between the town and college were strong enough that the citizens of Washington offered the college a $50,000 donation in 1869 in a successful attempt to lure the Washington &Jefferson College trustees to select Washington over nearby Canonsburg as the consolidated location of the college. The relationship was strained through the latter half of the 20th century,however,as the college pursued an expansion policy that clashed with the residential neighborhood. The college's frustrations grew after preservationists unsuccessfully attempted to pass laws prohibiting the college from demolishing certain buildings that were listed on the East Washington Historic District. Relations were so bad that residents and college officials engaged in a shouting match at a meeting. Local preservationists also unsuccessfully tried to block the demolition of Hays Hall,which had been condemned.