William Carleton (Massachusetts)
Encyclopedia
William Carleton was a prosperous manufacturer of brassware from Charlestown, Massachusetts
.
In December 1870, Carleton was introduced to Reverend James W. Strong
, the young president of Minnesota
's fledgling Northfield College
. Shortly thereafter, Strong was seriously, but not fatally, injured when his carriage was struck by a train. Upon learning of Strong's "almost miraculous" survival, Carleton was reportedly so moved that he gave $50,000 to the college, the largest single donation made to an American college
outside the east at that time. The grateful trustees of the college renamed the school "Carleton College
" in his honor, and each year the William Carleton Scholarship is given to select member(s) of the incoming freshman class in recognition of superior achievement and ability.
Charlestown, Massachusetts
Charlestown is a neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and is located on a peninsula north of downtown Boston. Charlestown was originally a separate town and the first capital of the Massachusetts Bay Colony; it became a city in 1847 and was annexed by Boston on January 5, 1874...
.
In December 1870, Carleton was introduced to Reverend James W. Strong
James Strong (college president)
Dr. James Woodward Strong, theologian and scholar, was the first president of Carleton College. Despite lifelong illness and injury, Strong was a highly active man throughout his life, juggling multiple professional and personal occupations....
, the young president of Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
's fledgling Northfield College
Carleton College
Carleton College is an independent non-sectarian, coeducational, liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, USA. The college enrolls 1,958 undergraduate students, and employs 198 full-time faculty members. In 2012 U.S...
. Shortly thereafter, Strong was seriously, but not fatally, injured when his carriage was struck by a train. Upon learning of Strong's "almost miraculous" survival, Carleton was reportedly so moved that he gave $50,000 to the college, the largest single donation made to an American college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
outside the east at that time. The grateful trustees of the college renamed the school "Carleton College
Carleton College
Carleton College is an independent non-sectarian, coeducational, liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, USA. The college enrolls 1,958 undergraduate students, and employs 198 full-time faculty members. In 2012 U.S...
" in his honor, and each year the William Carleton Scholarship is given to select member(s) of the incoming freshman class in recognition of superior achievement and ability.