Martin Henry Freeman (1826–1889) was the first

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president of an American

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. He also later served as president of

Liberia College The University of Liberia (UL or LU in older versions of abbreviation) is a publicly funded institution of higher learning located in Monrovia, Liberia. Authorized by the national government in 1851, the university opened in 1862 as Liberia Coll ...

Biography

Freeman was born in Rutland, Vermont in 1826. After receiving private tutelage from a local reverend, William Mitchell, Freeman attended Middlebury College, where he graduated as

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in 1849. The following year, he moved to

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, to take up a position as professor of science and mathematics at the Allegheny Institute (later Avery College), a new state-chartered college founded to educate free African Americans. He was named president of the college in 1856. Liberia College 1893

During the

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, Freeman became active in the

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movement. He moved to Liberia in 1864. He continued his work as a professor at

and was named as president of that college shortly before his death. Upon his death he was buried in Palm Grove Cemetery in Monrovia.

In culture

Dr. Russell Irvine of

Georgia State University Georgia State University (Georgia State, State, or GSU) is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1913, it is one of the University System of Georgia's four research universities. It is also the largest institution of hig ...

, author of ''The African American Quest for Institutions of Higher Education Before the Civil War: The Forgotten Histories of the Ashmun Institute, Liberia College, and Avery College'' (2010), wrote the first biography of Martin Henry Freeman. Titled ''Martin H. Freeman of Rutland: America's First Black College Professor and Pioneering Black Social Activist'' (1996), it was first published as an article in Volume XXVI, Number 3 of the ''Rutland Historical Society Quarterly'' and later appeared in Professor Irvine's book, ''The History of Black Higher and Professional Education''. The Anderson Freeman Resource Center at Middlebury College, a center that works to promote an inclusive and welcoming environment for the Middlebury community, especially for historically disadvantaged communities such as minority, first-generation college students, and

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people, is named in his honor. A sculpture honoring him was installed in downtown Rutland in 2020.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Freeman, Martin Henry 1826 births 1889 deaths Heads of universities and colleges in the United States Liberian educators Middlebury College alumni Americo-Liberian people Presidents of the University of Liberia People from Rutland (town), Vermont