Elijah Evan Edwards 1879 - 1882 |
University Presidents |
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Son of an Ohio itinerant Methodist preacher, Edwards received his B.A. degree from DePauw in 1853. He taught at a variety of schools, became a minister and was commissioned as a chaplain during the Civil War, returned to teaching and then spent six years as assistant editor of the Central Christian Advocate. He was serving as a professor of physics and natural history at McKenndree College in Lebanon, Illinois, when he was called to Fort Collins. President Edwards, along with two instructors, welcomed the first five students to enroll at the State Agricultural College on September 1, 1879, two of which were members of his family. He believed the agricultural college's function was to provide vocational training, yet within the traditional context of educating the whole person. Regular morning chapel services were established to mark the beginning of the college day. Edwards was viewed as a transitional education figure; he had a scholarly and scientific mind, but his knowledge did not equal that of men trained in the latest theories and applications of science. Having no precedents to guide him, he struggled with an ill-prepared student body, a confrontational faculty, and a desperate financial situation. Edwards failed to attract a following and resigned in 1882. |
