James David Moffat | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 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 (aged 70) Washington,Pennsylvania |
| 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]
