James A. Blaisdell
Encyclopedia
James Arnold Blaisdell was a minister, theologian and most notably the third president of Pomona College
(1910-1927) and founder and “Head Fellow” of the Claremont Colleges
(1927-1935).
He was born in Beloit, Wisconsin
; his father was a philosophy professor at Beloit College
. Blaisdell graduated from Beloit College in 1889, and went on to become a minister in Waukesha, Wisconsin
for a time, until he went back to Beloit College to be the Chair of the Bible Department, as well as the director of the library, in 1903.
He became president of Pomona College in 1910 and the College’s finances, success and visibility quickly increased. He envisioned what would become the Claremont Colleges
in 1923 when faced with increasing enrollment at Pomona, so that rather than compromising the small college’s atmosphere, several small schools could coexist and share common facilities such as a library, much like Oxford
. He became the head of the Claremont University Consortium
in 1927, when he resigned as president of Pomona. He continued in this capacity until 1935, retiring to La Jolla, California, but upon the death of his wife in 1940, returned to Claremont for the last 17 years of his life, observing and overseeing the growth of what had become five institutions.
Pomona College
Pomona College is a private, residential, liberal arts college in Claremont, California. Founded in 1887 in Pomona, California by a group of Congregationalists, the college moved to Claremont in 1889 to the site of a hotel, retaining its name. The school enrolls 1,548 students.The founding member...
(1910-1927) and founder and “Head Fellow” of the Claremont Colleges
Claremont Colleges
The Claremont Colleges are a prestigious American consortium of five undergraduate and two graduate schools of higher education located in Claremont, California, a city east of downtown Los Angeles...
(1927-1935).
He was born in Beloit, Wisconsin
Beloit, Wisconsin
Beloit is a city in Rock County, Wisconsin, United States. As of the 2010 census, Beloit had a population of 36,966. The greater Beloit area is home to more than 91,000 residents.-Claim to fame:...
; his father was a philosophy professor at Beloit College
Beloit College
Beloit College is a liberal arts college in Beloit, Wisconsin, USA. It is a member of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest, and has an enrollment of roughly 1,300 undergraduate students. Beloit is the oldest continuously operated college in Wisconsin, and has the oldest building of any college...
. Blaisdell graduated from Beloit College in 1889, and went on to become a minister in Waukesha, Wisconsin
Waukesha, Wisconsin
Waukesha is a city in and the county seat of Waukesha County, Wisconsin, in the Upper Midwest region of the United States. The population was 70,718 at the 2010 census, making it the largest community in the county and 7th largest in the state. The city is located adjacent to the Town of Waukesha...
for a time, until he went back to Beloit College to be the Chair of the Bible Department, as well as the director of the library, in 1903.
He became president of Pomona College in 1910 and the College’s finances, success and visibility quickly increased. He envisioned what would become the Claremont Colleges
Claremont Colleges
The Claremont Colleges are a prestigious American consortium of five undergraduate and two graduate schools of higher education located in Claremont, California, a city east of downtown Los Angeles...
in 1923 when faced with increasing enrollment at Pomona, so that rather than compromising the small college’s atmosphere, several small schools could coexist and share common facilities such as a library, much like Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
. He became the head of the Claremont University Consortium
Claremont University Consortium
The Claremont University Consortium is an organization located in Claremont, California that supports Claremont Colleges, a group of five undergraduate and two graduate schools of higher education. It provides centralized services, such as a library system, student health, campus mail, and other...
in 1927, when he resigned as president of Pomona. He continued in this capacity until 1935, retiring to La Jolla, California, but upon the death of his wife in 1940, returned to Claremont for the last 17 years of his life, observing and overseeing the growth of what had become five institutions.