George Whitaker (Oregon educator)
Encyclopedia
George Whitaker was an American minister and university president in Texas
and Oregon
. A native of Massachusetts
, he served as the president of Wiley College
in Texas, along with Willamette University
and Portland University
in Oregon. A Methodist trained preacher and graduate of Wesleyan University
, he also worked as a pastor across the country in the late 19th century, primarily in New England
.
for the Department of the Treasury
. George’s great-grandfather, Nathaniel Whitaker, helped found Dartmouth College
. He received his early education in Massachusetts at schools such as the Bridgewater Normal School (now Bridgewater State College
), the Wesleyan Academy in Wilbraham
, and the West Newton Model School.
Whitaker moved on to college at Wesleyan University
in Middletown, Connecticut
, where he earned a bachelor of arts degree in 1861. At the school he was a member of the Phi Nu Theta and Phi Beta Kappa fraternities. On June 22, 1861, he married Harriet Clarke from Forestville, Connecticut, and they had four children; Harriet Clarke, George Edgar, John Holland, and a son who died as an infant. Whitaker then started working as a pastor for the Methodist Episcopal church in West Medway, Massachusetts, in 1861 and remained until 1863. In 1863, he moved on to the church in South Walpole where he remained until 1864. During this time, he continued his studies and earned a master of arts degree from Wesleyan in 1864, where his brother Nicholas also attended.
In 1865, he began preaching at the church in Roxbury followed by Lowell from 1867 to 1869. Whitaker then moved onto the church in Westfield in 1870, the Boston Street Church in Lynn in 1872, and the Saratoga Street church in Boston in 1873. From 1874 to 1878 he served as a presiding elder for the Springfield District of the church before returning to preaching at Ipswich, Massachusetts where he was stationed until 1879. He moved onto the Trinity Church in Cambridge where he served from 1879 to 1882, and to the First Church in Somerville from that year until 1884. In 1885, he began service at the Grace Church in Worcester, remaining until 1888.
, a school for Blacks in Marshall, Texas
, succeeding N. D. Clifford. Serving as president from 1888 until 1891, he also was granted a doctor of divinity from Fort Worth University in Texas
in 1890. In 1891, he took the same position at Willamette University
in Salem, Oregon
, with P. A. Pool replacing him at Wiley.
He became the seventh president of the university on July 25, 1891, replacing Thomas Van Scoy
who had left to help establish Portland University
in a split with Willamette. Whitaker also served on the faculty as a professor of mental and moral science. As president he banned talking between the sexes at the school and banned walking with members of the opposite sex, which was unusual for the school. On September 16, 1891, the main building on campus, University Hall
, lost its roof in a fire. Whitaker was able to have classes resume two-and-half hours later. He also suggested renaming the building as Waller Hall, which did occur many years later.
Whitaker was responsible for establishing a graduate program in 1892 to confer the degree of doctor of philosophy
. During his tenure he clashed with the board of trustees, the students, and faculty over his old fashioned ways and made an attempt to gain full control over the university in 1893, threatening to resign. The trustees declined giving him the power he sought, and he resigned from the school that year. He was replaced by Willis C. Hawley
who had been a mathematics teacher at the school.
Following his tenure at Willamette, Whitaker moved to Portland, Oregon
, where he was the pastor at St. Paul’s Church in 1893, followed by the same position in Detroit, Michigan
, from 1894 to 1896. He then returned to Massachusetts from 1897 to 1899 to preach at two churches in that state. In 1899, he was hired to be the president of Portland University, Willamette’s financially failing rival, and where his son John Holland earned a degree. Whitaker served as the president until its end, working out a deal to merge what remained of the school into Willamette.
.
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. A native of Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, he served as the president of Wiley College
Wiley College
Wiley College is a four-year, private, historically black, liberal arts college located on the west side of Marshall, Texas. Founded in 1873 by the Methodist Episcopal Church's Bishop Isaac Wiley and certified in 1882 by the Freedman's Aid Society, it is notable as one of the oldest predominantly...
in Texas, along with Willamette University
Willamette University
Willamette University is an American private institution of higher learning located in Salem, Oregon. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest university in the Western United States. Willamette is a member of the Annapolis Group of colleges, and is made up of an undergraduate College of Liberal Arts and...
and Portland University
Portland University
Portland University was a private, Methodist post-secondary school in Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1891 in a split from Willamette University, the school closed in 1900. The campus was located in what is now the University Park neighborhood and later became home of the University of...
in Oregon. A Methodist trained preacher and graduate of Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
, he also worked as a pastor across the country in the late 19th century, primarily in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
.
Early years
George Whitaker was born on May 14, 1836, to Catherine Cravath Holland and Edgar Kimball Whitaker in Boston, Massachusetts. Raised on a farm, he was the third oldest among eleven children in the family. His father was a merchant of English heritage who worked for the United States Customs in Boston and New Orleans, also acting as a clerk in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
for the Department of the Treasury
United States Department of the Treasury
The Department of the Treasury is an executive department and the treasury of the United States federal government. It was established by an Act of Congress in 1789 to manage government revenue...
. George’s great-grandfather, Nathaniel Whitaker, helped found Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
. He received his early education in Massachusetts at schools such as the Bridgewater Normal School (now Bridgewater State College
Bridgewater State College
Bridgewater State University is a public liberal-arts college in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is the largest college in the Massachusetts state university system outside of the University of Massachusetts system. The school's mascot is the bear.-History:BSU was founded by...
), the Wesleyan Academy in Wilbraham
Wilbraham, Massachusetts
Wilbraham is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. It is also a suburb of the City of Springfield, Massachusetts and part of the Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 14,868 at the 2010 census...
, and the West Newton Model School.
Whitaker moved on to college at Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
in Middletown, Connecticut
Middletown, Connecticut
Middletown is a city located in Middlesex County, Connecticut, along the Connecticut River, in the central part of the state, 16 miles south of Hartford. In 1650, it was incorporated as a town under its original Indian name, Mattabeseck. It received its present name in 1653. In 1784, the central...
, where he earned a bachelor of arts degree in 1861. At the school he was a member of the Phi Nu Theta and Phi Beta Kappa fraternities. On June 22, 1861, he married Harriet Clarke from Forestville, Connecticut, and they had four children; Harriet Clarke, George Edgar, John Holland, and a son who died as an infant. Whitaker then started working as a pastor for the Methodist Episcopal church in West Medway, Massachusetts, in 1861 and remained until 1863. In 1863, he moved on to the church in South Walpole where he remained until 1864. During this time, he continued his studies and earned a master of arts degree from Wesleyan in 1864, where his brother Nicholas also attended.
In 1865, he began preaching at the church in Roxbury followed by Lowell from 1867 to 1869. Whitaker then moved onto the church in Westfield in 1870, the Boston Street Church in Lynn in 1872, and the Saratoga Street church in Boston in 1873. From 1874 to 1878 he served as a presiding elder for the Springfield District of the church before returning to preaching at Ipswich, Massachusetts where he was stationed until 1879. He moved onto the Trinity Church in Cambridge where he served from 1879 to 1882, and to the First Church in Somerville from that year until 1884. In 1885, he began service at the Grace Church in Worcester, remaining until 1888.
Educator
Whitaker began a career as an administrator at Methodist colleges in 1888. He started at Wiley CollegeWiley College
Wiley College is a four-year, private, historically black, liberal arts college located on the west side of Marshall, Texas. Founded in 1873 by the Methodist Episcopal Church's Bishop Isaac Wiley and certified in 1882 by the Freedman's Aid Society, it is notable as one of the oldest predominantly...
, a school for Blacks in Marshall, Texas
Marshall, Texas
Marshall is a city in Harrison County in the northeastern corner of Texas. Marshall is a major cultural and educational center in East Texas and the tri-state area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Marshall was about 23,523...
, succeeding N. D. Clifford. Serving as president from 1888 until 1891, he also was granted a doctor of divinity from Fort Worth University in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
in 1890. In 1891, he took the same position at Willamette University
Willamette University
Willamette University is an American private institution of higher learning located in Salem, Oregon. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest university in the Western United States. Willamette is a member of the Annapolis Group of colleges, and is made up of an undergraduate College of Liberal Arts and...
in Salem, Oregon
Salem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
, with P. A. Pool replacing him at Wiley.
He became the seventh president of the university on July 25, 1891, replacing Thomas Van Scoy
Thomas Van Scoy
Thomas Van Scoy was an American minister and educator in Indiana, Oregon, and Montana. A Methodist, he served as the sixth president of Willamette University and as president of the now defunct Portland University...
who had left to help establish Portland University
Portland University
Portland University was a private, Methodist post-secondary school in Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1891 in a split from Willamette University, the school closed in 1900. The campus was located in what is now the University Park neighborhood and later became home of the University of...
in a split with Willamette. Whitaker also served on the faculty as a professor of mental and moral science. As president he banned talking between the sexes at the school and banned walking with members of the opposite sex, which was unusual for the school. On September 16, 1891, the main building on campus, University Hall
Waller Hall
Waller Hall is the oldest building on the campus of Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, United States. Built in 1867 as University Hall, the five-story, red-brick structure was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975...
, lost its roof in a fire. Whitaker was able to have classes resume two-and-half hours later. He also suggested renaming the building as Waller Hall, which did occur many years later.
Whitaker was responsible for establishing a graduate program in 1892 to confer the degree of doctor of philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
. During his tenure he clashed with the board of trustees, the students, and faculty over his old fashioned ways and made an attempt to gain full control over the university in 1893, threatening to resign. The trustees declined giving him the power he sought, and he resigned from the school that year. He was replaced by Willis C. Hawley
Willis C. Hawley
Willis Chatman Hawley was an American politician and educator in the state of Oregon. A native of the state, he would serve as president of Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, where he earned his undergraduate and law degrees before entering politics...
who had been a mathematics teacher at the school.
Following his tenure at Willamette, Whitaker moved to Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, where he was the pastor at St. Paul’s Church in 1893, followed by the same position in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, from 1894 to 1896. He then returned to Massachusetts from 1897 to 1899 to preach at two churches in that state. In 1899, he was hired to be the president of Portland University, Willamette’s financially failing rival, and where his son John Holland earned a degree. Whitaker served as the president until its end, working out a deal to merge what remained of the school into Willamette.
Later years
After leaving Oregon, he returned to be pastor at the Trinity Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts, serving from 1900 to 1905. Whitaker then held positions in Lowell, Orient Heights, and Linden. In civic affairs he was a member of the Republican Party, the Sons of Temperance, the Temple of Honor, the Evening Star, and a Freemason. He also was the librarian of the New England Methodist Historical Society at one time. George Whitaker died in 1917 in Westfield, MassachusettsWestfield, Massachusetts
Westfield is a city in Hampden County, in the Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 41,094 at the 2010 census. The ZIP Code is 01085 for homes and businesses, 01086 for Westfield State...
.