John Thornton Kirkland
Encyclopedia
John Thornton Kirkland (August 17, 1770 – April 26, 1840) served as President of Harvard University
from 1810 to 1828. A religious minister like many of his predecessors, he is remembered chiefly for his lenient treatment of students. Kirkland House
, one of Harvard's undergraduate "houses," or residence halls, was named in his honor and in recognition of his term at the school's helm.
Oliver Wendell Holmes
describes him thus, in his study of Ralph Waldo Emerson
: "His 'shining morning face' was round as a baby's, and talked as pleasantly as his voice did, with smiles for accents and dimples for punctuation.... It was of him that the story was always told,--it may be as old as the invention of printing,--that he threw his sermons into a barrel, where they went to pieces and got mixed up, and that when he was going to preach he fished out what he thought would be about enough for a sermon, and patched the leaves together as he best might."
His contemporary George Ticknor
described Kirkland's sermons as "full of intellectual wealth and practical wisdom, with sometimes a quaintness that bordered on humor."
Kirkland served as pastor of the New South Church
in Boston, 1794–1810.
President of Harvard University
The President of Harvard University is the chief administrator of the university. Ex officio the chairman of the Harvard Corporation, he or she is appointed by and is responsible to the other members of that body, who delegate to him or her the day-to-day running of the university...
from 1810 to 1828. A religious minister like many of his predecessors, he is remembered chiefly for his lenient treatment of students. Kirkland House
Kirkland House
Kirkland House is one of the 12 undergraduate houses at Harvard University, located near the Charles River in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was named after John Thornton Kirkland, president of Harvard University from 1810 to 1828. Some of the buildings were built in 1914 but construction was not...
, one of Harvard's undergraduate "houses," or residence halls, was named in his honor and in recognition of his term at the school's helm.
Oliver Wendell Holmes
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. was an American physician, professor, lecturer, and author. Regarded by his peers as one of the best writers of the 19th century, he is considered a member of the Fireside Poets. His most famous prose works are the "Breakfast-Table" series, which began with The Autocrat...
describes him thus, in his study of Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American essayist, lecturer, and poet, who led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century...
: "His 'shining morning face' was round as a baby's, and talked as pleasantly as his voice did, with smiles for accents and dimples for punctuation.... It was of him that the story was always told,--it may be as old as the invention of printing,--that he threw his sermons into a barrel, where they went to pieces and got mixed up, and that when he was going to preach he fished out what he thought would be about enough for a sermon, and patched the leaves together as he best might."
His contemporary George Ticknor
George Ticknor
George Ticknor was an American academician and Hispanist, specializing in the subject areas of languages and literature. He is known for his scholarly work on the history and criticism of Spanish literature....
described Kirkland's sermons as "full of intellectual wealth and practical wisdom, with sometimes a quaintness that bordered on humor."
Kirkland served as pastor of the New South Church
New South Church (Boston, Massachusetts)
New South Church was a congregational unitarian church of the "New South Society" in Boston, Massachusetts, located on "Church Green" at the corner of Summer Street and Bedford Street. Pastors included Samuel Checkley and John Thornton Kirkland. In 1814 architect Charles Bulfinch designed a new...
in Boston, 1794–1810.