University of Chicago - Cap and Gown Yearbook (Chicago, IL)

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ILLIAM RAINEY HARPER was born in the little Ohio towm of New Concord, Muskingum County, July 26, 1856, the son t of Samuel and Ellen Elizabeth tnee RaineyJ Harper. He was a precocious student and after hurrying through the grade and high schools of his native town entered Muskingum College. He was graduated at the age of 14 and celebrated his commencement day by an oration in Hebrew. In these early student days he was remarked for three well developed Characteristics: A love of philology, a passion for details and a passion for music. His musical bent was strong, and a tradition exists that for a time he wavered in his choice of a prefession between music and teaching. During the next three years he clerked in his fathers store, studied ian- guages with a tutor and conducted the village band. Finally the desire for scholarship overmastered his artistic yearning and he departed; for graduate study in Yale University. Heispent two years at Yaie, and took the degree of Doctor of Philosophy from the institution at the age of 19, his speciaity having been philology and the Semitic languages. In the same year he mar- ried Miss Ellen Paul of New Concord, Ohio. The year fahowing this doubly decisive step in lifeegraduation and marriage-he spent as principal of the Masonic College at Macon, Tenn. After one coliege year in the South he accepted a position as tutor in Dennison University. Three years of earnest werk in this capacity brought him promotion to the principalship of the prepar- atory department of that institution. in 1880, at the close of his fourth year With Dennison, he accepted an offer of a professorship of Hebrew and Semitic languages in the Baptist Union Theological Seminary at Morgan Park. In 1886? When just 30 years old, Dr. Harper received a flattering offer from his alma mater, Yale University, and went there to occupy the chair of Semitic languages and Biblical literature. After five years Of continued success as a teacher he in 1891 was chosen president of the new University of Chicagoy to be founded the following year. Two years before, When a group of prominent Baptists of Chicago and the middte West had begun the movement to establish a new Baptist institus tion to replace the 01d University of Chicago, Dr. Harper? recognized as a reseureefui man by those with whom he was associated in the theological seminary at Morgan Park, was called into consultation. He immrdiately became the prime mover and fertile leader of the project, and the first board of trustees accordingly elected him president of the new university, President Harpefs many original contributions to the science of educa- tion, technically exemplified by his correspondence system of study, his inductive method of teaching ancient languages and his famous quarterly system of instruction, added to the fame he gained as an educator by raising the requirements and ideals for university work as a whole.