George Colby Chase
George Colby Chase | |
---|---|
2nd President of Bates College | |
In office March 1, 1894 – November 1, 1919 | |
Preceded by | Oren Burbank Cheney |
Succeeded by | Clifton Daggett Gray |
Personal details | |
Born | March 15, 1844 Unity, Maine, U.S. |
Died | May 27, 1919 Lewiston, Maine, U.S. |
Alma mater | Bates College Harvard University |
Profession | Scholar of English, academic administrator |
George Colby Chase (March 15, 1844 - May 27, 1919)[1] was an American intellectual and professor of English who served as the second President of Bates College succeeding its founder, Oren Burbank Cheney, from March 1894 to November 1919.
Known as "the great builder,"
Life and career
Chase was born on March 15, 1844, in
In order to better prepare himself, he spent a year as a graduate student at Harvard, returning in 1872 to join the Bates faculty as Professor of Rhetoric and English Literature. Chase attended Bates' Cobb Divinity School while teaching, but eventually decided not to pursue a career in ministry. Chase then studied at Harvard University, returning to Bates in 1872 to teach Rhetoric and English.[1][2]
Chase taught for 22 years and during that time his administrative skills were noticed by the current Bates College president, Oren Burbank Cheney. In the 1880s Chase took on many of the president's fundraising responsibilities, and in 1894, Chase became Bates' second president, when Oren Burbank Cheney retired. As president Chase greatly expanded the college campus, student body, and the endowment. Chase served as president until his death in 1919. He died shortly after signing the diplomas for the class of 1919. His house on Frye Street is currently part of college, and Chase Hall is named after him.[3][2]
He has received several honorary degrees including University of New Brunswick and Bowdoin College.[1]
In 1872, he married Emma F. Millett, a former member of the Bates College's first graduating class. They had five children: George, Emma, Muriel, Elizabeth and Caroline. Chase died at his home in Lewiston, Maine, on May 27, 1919, at the age of 75.[2]
Legacy
Chase was honored by Bates with the construction of
See also
References
- ^ a b c "Guide to the Office of the President, George Colby Chase records, 1868-1921". Retrieved 2015-12-24.
- ^ a b c d e "George Colby Chase | Past Presidents | Bates College". www.bates.edu. Retrieved 2017-06-17.
- ^ "George Colby Chase | Past Presidents | Bates College". www.bates.edu. Retrieved 2015-12-24.
- ^ "Chase Hall | Campus Tour | Bates College". www.bates.edu. Retrieved 2015-12-24.
Further reading
- Chase, George M., George C. Chase: A Biography, (Boston: Houghton Milton, 1924).