Hurst Robins Anderson
Hurst Robins Anderson | |
|---|---|
| 8th President of American University | |
| In office September 1, 1952 – 1968 | |
| Preceded by | Paul Douglass |
| Succeeded by | George H. Williams |
| 11th President of Hamline University[a] | |
| In office July 1, 1948 – September 1, 1952 | |
| Preceded by | Charles Nelson Pace |
| Succeeded by | Walter Castella Coffey |
| 7th President of Centenary Junior College | |
| In office August 15, 1943 – July 1, 1948 | |
| Succeeded by | Edward W. Seay |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 16, 1904 Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | April 19, 1989 (aged 84) St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S. |
| Spouse |
Marian Powell (m. 1932) |
| Education | |
Hurst Robins Anderson (September 16, 1904 – April 19, 1989) was an American educator and academic administrator. He was president of Centenary Junior College (now Centenary University), Hamline University, and American University, for various periods between 1943 to 1968.
Early life and education
[edit]Hurst Robins Anderson was born on September 16, 1904, in Cleveland, Ohio.[3] He was named for John Fletcher Hurst.[4] He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU) in 1926.[3][4] There, he was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.[5] After leaving OWU, he began law school at the University of Michigan Law School, but he did not complete his degree due to lack of funds. After leaving Michigan, he enrolled at Northwestern University and graduated with a Master of Arts degree in speech in 1928.[3]
Career
[edit]Anderson's career in academia began in 1929,[6] when he took a position as a professor at Allegheny College, in Meadville, Pennsylvania, teaching debate and English.[3] He was also the college registrar during part of his time at Allegheny.[7] In May 1932, he was the commencement speaker at Plumville High School in Pennsylvania.[6] He accepted the presidency of Centenary Junior College (now Centenary University) in Hackettstown, New Jersey, on June 29, 1943, and he assumed office on August 15 of that year.[8] Early into his term, he appointed Margaret Hight to be the school's new dean; she had previously been assistant dean.[9] On October 24, 1945, Anderson participated in the inauguration ceremony for his brother, Paul R. Anderson, as the new president of the Pennsylvania College for Women (now Chatham University).[10] Anderson's administration announced an $800,000 fundraiser in April 1946, with funds primarily to be used in improving existing campus facilities and constructing several new buildings, including a gym and dormitory.[11] Of the amount sought by the fundraiser, the school aimed to raise $300,000 by July 1947;[11] Anderson announced that this mark had been exceeded in late December 1946.[12] Earlier that year, he had been elected president of the New Jersey Association of Colleges for a two-year term.[13]
Anderson accepted the presidency of Hamline University, in St. Paul, Minnesota, in May 1948, effective July 1, 1948.[14] His successor at Centenary was Edward W. Seay, elected by the trustees late that July.[15][16] Anderson's formal inauguration at Hamline was held October 23, 1948.[17] At Ohio Wesleyan's 1949 commencement ceremonies, Anderson and his brother, also an alumnus of the school, were awarded honorary Doctor of Laws degrees.[18] Several months earlier, Anderson announced plans to spend $2 million to renovate multiple buildings on Hamline's campus and built numerous others, including science, arts, and recreational facilities, and a women's dormitory. The plans were timed to coincide with the university's 100th anniversary.[19] The school received a $515,000 donation in December 1949; Anderson announced the money would go towards new classroom and laboratory spaces.[20]
Anderson was announced as the incoming president of American University, in Washington, D.C., on June 7, 1952. He took office on September 1, 1952, and was the school's first lay president. Before taking office, he remarked that changes to the undergraduate curriculum and administrative reform would be priorities of his administration; his predecessor, Paul Douglass, resigned after the school received criticism from an accreditation agency regarding its administrative practices.[4] He also reaffirmed his opposition to the university reestablishing its football program, which had been disbanded following the 1941 season.[4][21] He was inaugurated as American's president in February 1953; during his inaugural address, he announced a proposal for a $10 million development plan to be completed over a 10-year period; the proposal called for half of the funds to be put towards new campus buildings—for law, social science, and public affairs, among others—and half to be put towards the school's endowment.[22] That month, his administration also announced a reformation to the curriculum for new students starting with the 1953–1954 academic year.[23]
Personal life and death
[edit]Anderson married Marian Powell, a teacher from Norwalk, Ohio,[24] on August 24, 1932.[5] The wedding ceremony was held in Ashland, Ohio.[5] He died of bone cancer[25] in St. Petersburg, Florida,[3] on April 19, 1989.[26][b]
Notes
[edit]- ^ At the time of his inauguration, Anderson was considered Hamline's 10th president.[1] Because the school now counts interim and acting presidents in the count, modern sources published by Hamline consider Henry Leslie Osborn, acting president from 1932 to 1933, to be their "8th president". Therefore, Anderson is now counted 11th.[2]
- ^ The "Hurst R. Anderson Papers" collection housed at American University incorrectly claims that Anderson died on April 15, 1989.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ James, Jean (October 24, 1948). "Hamline 'U' seats prexy". Star Tribune. Minneapolis, Minnesota. p. 25. Retrieved June 24, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "History of the president's office: Hamline's past presidents". Hamline University. Retrieved June 24, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f "Hurst R. Anderson Papers". American University. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Dr. Hurst R. Anderson heads American U., plans expansion". The Evening Star. Washington, D.C. June 8, 1952. p. 29. Retrieved June 24, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c Hipp, Irene (August 25, 1932). "Former resident of Mansfield marries girl from Ashland". News Journal. Mansfield, Ohio. p. 7. Retrieved June 23, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Commencement at Plumville; 14 to graduate". The Indiana Gazette. Indiana, Pennsylvania. May 18, 1932. p. 2. Retrieved June 23, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Record summer enrollment at Allegheny". The Conneautville Courier. Conneautville, Pennsylvania. July 1, 1942. p. 8. Retrieved June 23, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Institute president". The Morning Herald. Uniontown, Pennsylvania. Associated Press. June 30, 1943. p. 7. Retrieved June 24, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Miss Margaret E. Hight". The Herald-Sun. Durham, North Carolina. October 10, 1943. p. 19. Retrieved June 24, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Brother to inaugurate brother as P. C. W. head". The Pittsburgh Press. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. October 14, 1945. p. 43. Retrieved June 17, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Rev. Mr. Sorenson will be secretary of church council". The Morning Call. Paterson, New Jersey. April 26, 1946. p. 26. Retrieved June 24, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Centenary College plans anniversary". The News. Paterson, New Jersey. December 30, 1946. p. 29. Retrieved June 24, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Elect Anderson; Centenary official heads N. J. Association of Colleges". The Record. Hackensack, New Jersey. May 2, 1946. p. 8. Retrieved June 25, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "New Hamline head to take over in July". The Minneapolis Star. Minneapolis, Minnesota. May 26, 1948. p. 19. Retrieved June 25, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "College head inducted; E. W. Seay becomes the 8th president of Centenary Junior". The New York Times. New York, New York. October 31, 1948. p. 72. Retrieved June 25, 2025.
- ^ "Centenary head appointed". Herald News. Passaic, New Jersey. July 23, 1948. p. 5. Retrieved June 25, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "2-day Hamline fete to precede inauguration". The Minneapolis Star. Minneapolis, Minnesota. October 15, 1948. p. 27. Retrieved June 25, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "455 seniors to be graduated at Ohio Wesleyan exercises". The Journal Herald. Dayton, Ohio. June 13, 1949. p. 3. Retrieved June 25, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Hamline to spend $2,000,000 on expansion plans". The Minneapolis Star. Minneapolis, Minnesota. March 17, 1949. p. 27. Retrieved June 24, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Hamline to receive half million gift". Grand Forks Herald. Grand Forks, North Dakota. Associated Press. December 11, 1949. p. 5. Retrieved June 25, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Morse, Ben (December 13, 2021). "Thoroughly defeated, hopelessly in debt and utterly ignored: The story of American University football". The Eagle. Retrieved June 25, 2025.
- ^ "American U. plans $10 million program over 10-year period". The Evening Star. Washington, D.C. February 24, 1953. p. 1. Retrieved June 25, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "American U. sets stuffer study schedule". The Evening Star. Washington, D.C. February 5, 1953. p. 23. Retrieved June 25, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "License issued". The Mansfield Journal. Mansfield, Ohio. July 23, 1932. p. 5. Retrieved June 23, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Hurst R. Anderson, 84; leader of American U." The New York Times. New York, New York. April 21, 1989. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
- ^ "Hurst Anderson, former AU president, dies". The Washington Post. April 20, 1989. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
- 1904 births
- 1989 deaths
- Chancellors and presidents of American University
- 20th-century American academics
- Ohio Wesleyan University alumni
- Northwestern University alumni
- Allegheny College faculty
- People from Cleveland
- Deaths from cancer in Florida
- Deaths from bone cancer in the United States
- Sigma Alpha Epsilon members