Henry Suzzallo
Encyclopedia
Henry Suzzallo was president of the University of Washington
from 1915 to 1926. He later served as director of the National Advisory Committee on Education and president of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
just after his parents' emigration from the Dalmatia
region of Croatia
. Poor health in his youth resulted in mediocre grades during his primary and secondary education. He graduated from Stanford University
in 1899, and went to Columbia University
for graduate school, where he got his master's degree
in 1902 and his Ph.D.
in 1905. His focus was educational sociology. He was deputy superintendent of city schools in San Francisco, professor of education at Stanford, and professor of educational sociology
at Columbia, before becoming president of the University of Washington
in 1915.
"It was there (Columbia) that the Washington regents found him (Suzzallo) in 1915, and he returned to the coast of his birth gladly. The University of Pittsburgh tried to lure him east again in 1919, offering to double his salary. He refused. The Carnegie Foundation
, the National Research Council
, the English Speaking Union, the Hall of Fame, the Scouts
, the International Institute of the University of Heidelberg, and a dozen or so literary, sociological, and scientific societies soon made inroads on his time, recognizing him for a man of creditable character and intelligence; hearing of him from his many friends as one in whom force combined with charm, integrity with flexibility of manner. His prime attention, however, he devoted to the institution that was now in his charge" (Time
magazine, October 18, 1926).
Suzzallo, along with two other University of Washington faculty members, Richard Frederick Scholz (History Professor - predicted the rise of fascism in Europe) and Dr. Robert Max Garrett (English Professor - humanitarian), became an honorary member and advisor of the Phi Lambda chapter of the Zeta Psi
Fraternity of North America upon its charter in December 1920. Suzzallo's involvement with the Phi Lambda chapter of Zeta Psi is unusual because he did not become a member until after he was President of the University of Washington.
During World War I
, Suzzallo served as a chairman of the State Board of Defense, an advisor to the War Labor Board, and as a member of the Labor Industries Board. A labor dispute at the time concerned the eight hour workday in the logging and lumber industry, which Suzzallo favored and helped enact. Suzzallo's actions enraged lumberman Ronald H. Hartley, who was elected governor in 1924. In 1926, Hartley removed five of the seven members of the University of Washington's Board of Regents and replaced them with his own appointees. The new board shortly thereafter announced Suzzallo's "leave of absence" for no apparent reason. Enraged students threatened to strike, but were compelled not to upon Suzzallo's request.
After his dismissal from the University of Washington, Suzzallo became associated with the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, which he became president of in 1930.
He died in Seattle, Washington
in 1933. Suzzallo Library
, the University of Washington's central library
, is named in honor of him.
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
from 1915 to 1926. He later served as director of the National Advisory Committee on Education and president of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
Biography
Suzzallo was of Croatian descent, born in San Jose, CaliforniaSan Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
just after his parents' emigration from the Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
region of Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. Poor health in his youth resulted in mediocre grades during his primary and secondary education. He graduated from Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
in 1899, and went to Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
for graduate school, where he got his master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in 1902 and his Ph.D.
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...
in 1905. His focus was educational sociology. He was deputy superintendent of city schools in San Francisco, professor of education at Stanford, and professor of educational sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
at Columbia, before becoming president of the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
in 1915.
"It was there (Columbia) that the Washington regents found him (Suzzallo) in 1915, and he returned to the coast of his birth gladly. The University of Pittsburgh tried to lure him east again in 1919, offering to double his salary. He refused. The Carnegie Foundation
Carnegie Corporation of New York
Carnegie Corporation of New York, which was established by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 "to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding," is one of the oldest, largest and most influential of American foundations...
, the National Research Council
United States National Research Council
The National Research Council of the USA is the working arm of the United States National Academies, carrying out most of the studies done in their names.The National Academies include:* National Academy of Sciences...
, the English Speaking Union, the Hall of Fame, the Scouts
Scouting in Washington
Scouting in Washington has a long history, from the 1910s to the present day, serving thousands of youth in programs that suit the environment in which they live.-Early history :...
, the International Institute of the University of Heidelberg, and a dozen or so literary, sociological, and scientific societies soon made inroads on his time, recognizing him for a man of creditable character and intelligence; hearing of him from his many friends as one in whom force combined with charm, integrity with flexibility of manner. His prime attention, however, he devoted to the institution that was now in his charge" (Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine, October 18, 1926).
Suzzallo, along with two other University of Washington faculty members, Richard Frederick Scholz (History Professor - predicted the rise of fascism in Europe) and Dr. Robert Max Garrett (English Professor - humanitarian), became an honorary member and advisor of the Phi Lambda chapter of the Zeta Psi
Zeta Psi
The Zeta Psi Fraternity of North America was founded June 1, 1847 as a social college fraternity. The organization now comprises about fifty active chapters and twenty-five inactive chapters, encompassing roughly fifty thousand brothers, and is a founding member of the North-American...
Fraternity of North America upon its charter in December 1920. Suzzallo's involvement with the Phi Lambda chapter of Zeta Psi is unusual because he did not become a member until after he was President of the University of Washington.
During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Suzzallo served as a chairman of the State Board of Defense, an advisor to the War Labor Board, and as a member of the Labor Industries Board. A labor dispute at the time concerned the eight hour workday in the logging and lumber industry, which Suzzallo favored and helped enact. Suzzallo's actions enraged lumberman Ronald H. Hartley, who was elected governor in 1924. In 1926, Hartley removed five of the seven members of the University of Washington's Board of Regents and replaced them with his own appointees. The new board shortly thereafter announced Suzzallo's "leave of absence" for no apparent reason. Enraged students threatened to strike, but were compelled not to upon Suzzallo's request.
After his dismissal from the University of Washington, Suzzallo became associated with the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, which he became president of in 1930.
He died in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
in 1933. Suzzallo Library
Suzzallo Library
Suzzallo Library is the central library of the University of Washington in Seattle, and perhaps the most recognizable building on campus. It is named for Henry Suzzallo, who was president of the University of Washington until he stepped down in 1926, the same year the first phase of the library's...
, the University of Washington's central library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
, is named in honor of him.