John Daniel Runkle (October 11, 1822 – July 8, 1902) was a

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educator and

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. He served as acting president of

MIT The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the m ...

from 1868–70 and president between 1870 and 1878.

Biography

Professor Runkle was born at

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. He worked on his father's farm until he was of age, and then studied and taught until he entered the

Lawrence Scientific School The Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) is the engineering school within Harvard University's Faculty of Arts and Sciences, offering degrees in engineering and applied sciences to graduate students admitted ...

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

, where he graduated in 1851. His ability as a mathematician led in 1849 to his appointment as assistant in the preparation of the ''American Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac'', in which he continued to engage until 1884. He was

professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an academic rank at universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who professes". Professors ...

of mathematics in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology from 1865 until his retirement in 1902. Runkle become aware of the work of Victor Della-Vos's work in

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at the

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in 1876, he was impressed by the combination of theoretical and practical learning. Manual training was introduced into the institute

curriculum In education, a curriculum (; : curricula or curriculums) is broadly defined as the totality of student experiences that occur in the educational process. The term often refers specifically to a planned sequence of instruction, or to a view ...

largely at his instance. He founded the ''Mathematical Monthly'' in 1859 and continued its publication until 1861, and he had charge of the astronomical department of the ''Illustrated Pilgrim's Almanac''. In the town of Brookline, Massachusetts, Runkle was a chairman of the School Committee and an early advocate of mathematics and technical education. He received an LL.D from

Wesleyan University Wesleyan University ( ) is a private liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut. Founded in 1831 as a men's college under the auspices of the Methodist Episcopal Church and with the support of prominent residents of Middletown, the col ...

, in Middletown, Connecticut

Works

* ''New Tables for Determining the Values of Coefficients in the Perturbative Function of Planetary Motion'' (Washington, 1856) * ''The Manual Element in Education'' (1882), reprinted from the ''Reports'' of the

Massachusetts Board of Education The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) is the state education agency responsible for interpreting and implementing laws relevant to public education in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Public education in the Commonw ...

* ''Report on Industrial Education'' (1883) * ''Elements of Plane and Solid Analytic Geometry'' (Boston, 1888)

Memorials

John D. Runkle School, an elementary school located at 50 Druce Street in Brookline, was established in his name in 1897.

Family

His brother, Cornelius A. Runkle (9 December 1832 in

Montgomery County, New York Montgomery County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 49,532. The county seat is Fonda. The county was named in honor of Richard Montgomery, an American Revolutionary War general killed in 17 ...

–19 March 1888 in

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) graduated from Harvard Law School in 1855, and began practice in New York City. He was subsequently made deputy collector and given charge of the law division of the New York Custom House. This rendered him familiar with the legal questions involved in tariff and internal revenue litigation, and resulted in his devoting himself largely to that class of business. For about twenty-five years, he acted as counsel for the '' New York Tribune'' association. Cornelius's wife, Lucia Isabella Gilbert Runkle (born in

North Brookfield, Massachusetts North Brookfield is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 4,735 at the 2020 census. For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place North Brookfield, please see the article North ...

on August 20, 1844), was an editorial writer and contributor to the ''Tribune''.

Notes

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Runkle, John Daniel Presidents of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Science faculty American science writers People from Montgomery County, New York People from Brookline, Massachusetts Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences alumni Wesleyan University people 1822 births 1902 deaths School board members in Massachusetts