William Roberts McDaniel
Encyclopedia
William Roberts McDaniel (August 11, 1861 - April 19, 1942) is the namesake for McDaniel College
in Westminster
, Maryland
.
McDaniel was born in Talbot County, Maryland
. He was the youngest child of a non-traditional family having two brothers, five sisters, two half-brothers, and two half-sisters. His father, John Wesley Sedgewick McDaniel, was first married to Sarah Wrightson before marrying her sister, Ann Wrightson. It was Ann who later gave birth to William and his siblings.
When he was just sixteen and a sophomore, William McDaniel matriculated into Western Maryland College. Upon graduation in 1880, McDaniel earned the position of salutatorian
of his class.
William McDaniel was an active member of the College's Alumni Association and received recognition for his outstanding service to his alma mater. Interrupting his doctorate from Johns Hopkins University
and his studies with world-renowned British mathematician James Joseph Sylvester
in 1885, he returned to school as a professor to fill in for Professor W.J. Thomas, who was ill. Thomas died three months after McDaniel took over, solidifying the position for McDaniel. After that, McDaniel continued to teach for 36 years, sticking with mathematics, astronomy and even German and his own brand of calisthenics in the early years.
In 1888, after spending a summer at Harvard studying anatomy, hygiene and gymnastics, McDaniel invented Club Swinging, a form of exercise, which was discussed in his book Club Swinging by Note: A Method of Recording and Teaching Club Swings. He also bicycled.
McDaniel was made treasurer of Western Maryland College in 1894 and maintained this position up until his death. In 1894, William McDaniel and Ada Smith were married in the home of Ada’s brother in Westminster, MD. They lived in a home built by McDaniel College and located on its campus. This is where they raised their only child, Dorothy.
McDaniel become vice president and acting president of McDaniel College in 1906, but declined the position of presidency in 1920 on account of his failing health. He died in 1942 at the age of 80 years and 8 months.
In 2002, long after his death, Western Maryland College was renamed McDaniel College
in recognition of his dedication to the School.
McDaniel College
McDaniel College is a private four-year liberal arts college in Westminster, Maryland, located 30 miles northwest of Baltimore. The college also has a satellite campus located in Budapest, Hungary. Until July 2002, it was known as Western Maryland College...
in Westminster
Westminster, Maryland
Westminster is a city in northern Maryland, United States. It is the seat of Carroll County. The city's population was 18,590 at the 2010 census. Westminster is an outlying community within the Baltimore-Towson, MD MSA, which is part of a greater Washington-Baltimore-Northern Virginia, DC-MD-VA-WV...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
.
McDaniel was born in Talbot County, Maryland
Talbot County, Maryland
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*81.4% White*12.8% Black*0.2% Native American*1.2% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*1.6% Two or more races*2.7% Other races*5.5% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
. He was the youngest child of a non-traditional family having two brothers, five sisters, two half-brothers, and two half-sisters. His father, John Wesley Sedgewick McDaniel, was first married to Sarah Wrightson before marrying her sister, Ann Wrightson. It was Ann who later gave birth to William and his siblings.
When he was just sixteen and a sophomore, William McDaniel matriculated into Western Maryland College. Upon graduation in 1880, McDaniel earned the position of salutatorian
Salutatorian
Salutatorian is an academic title given, in the United States and Canada, to the second highest graduate of the entire graduating class of a specific discipline. Only the valedictorian is ranked higher. This honor is traditionally based on grade point average and number of credits taken, but...
of his class.
William McDaniel was an active member of the College's Alumni Association and received recognition for his outstanding service to his alma mater. Interrupting his doctorate from Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
and his studies with world-renowned British mathematician James Joseph Sylvester
James Joseph Sylvester
James Joseph Sylvester was an English mathematician. He made fundamental contributions to matrix theory, invariant theory, number theory, partition theory and combinatorics...
in 1885, he returned to school as a professor to fill in for Professor W.J. Thomas, who was ill. Thomas died three months after McDaniel took over, solidifying the position for McDaniel. After that, McDaniel continued to teach for 36 years, sticking with mathematics, astronomy and even German and his own brand of calisthenics in the early years.
In 1888, after spending a summer at Harvard studying anatomy, hygiene and gymnastics, McDaniel invented Club Swinging, a form of exercise, which was discussed in his book Club Swinging by Note: A Method of Recording and Teaching Club Swings. He also bicycled.
McDaniel was made treasurer of Western Maryland College in 1894 and maintained this position up until his death. In 1894, William McDaniel and Ada Smith were married in the home of Ada’s brother in Westminster, MD. They lived in a home built by McDaniel College and located on its campus. This is where they raised their only child, Dorothy.
McDaniel become vice president and acting president of McDaniel College in 1906, but declined the position of presidency in 1920 on account of his failing health. He died in 1942 at the age of 80 years and 8 months.
In 2002, long after his death, Western Maryland College was renamed McDaniel College
McDaniel College
McDaniel College is a private four-year liberal arts college in Westminster, Maryland, located 30 miles northwest of Baltimore. The college also has a satellite campus located in Budapest, Hungary. Until July 2002, it was known as Western Maryland College...
in recognition of his dedication to the School.