Aaron Lucius Chapin (February 6, 1817 – July 22, 1892) was an American minister and the first president of

Beloit College Beloit College is a private liberal arts college in Beloit, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1846 when Wisconsin was still a territory, it is the state's oldest continuously operated college. It has an enrollment of roughly 1,000 undergradua ...

. Chapin, the second son and third child of Deacon Laertes and Laura (Colton) Chapin, of

Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The city, located in Hartford County, Connecticut, Hartford County, had a population of 121,054 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ce ...

was born there on February 6, 1817. He graduated from

Yale College Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...

in 1837. During the year after graduation he taught in a family school in

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the List of United States ...

, and from 1838 to 1843 he was a professor in the New York Institution for the Deaf and Dumb in New York City, in the meantime also completing (1839–42) the course in the

Union Theological Seminary Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York (shortened to UTS or Union) is a Private college, private ecumenical liberal Christian seminary in Morningside Heights, Manhattan, affiliated with Columbia University since 1928. Presently, Co ...

. On January 24, 1844, he was ordained at Milwaukee, in

Wisconsin Territory The Territory of Wisconsin was an organized and incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 3, 1836, until May 29, 1848, when an eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Wisconsin. Belm ...

, where for nearly six years he served as pastor of the First Presbyterian Church with signal success. In December, 1849, he was called to

Beloit, Wisconsin Beloit ( ) is a city in Rock County, Wisconsin, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 36,657 people. Beloit is a principal city of the Janesville, Wisconsin, Janesville–Beloit metropolitan statistical area (Rock Co ...

, to fill the presidency of the College just established there, and that position he occupied from February, 1850, until his resignation in July, 1886. He retained a chair of instruction in Civil Polity until his death, although prostrated by paralysis in 1888. The degree of

Doctor of Divinity A Doctor of Divinity (DD or DDiv; ) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity (academic discipline), divinity (i.e., Christian theology and Christian ministry, ministry or other theologies. The term is more common in the Englis ...

was conferred on him by

Williams College Williams College is a Private college, private liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established as a men's college in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim ...

in 1853, and that of

Doctor of Laws A Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) is a doctoral degree in legal studies. The abbreviation LL.D. stands for ''Legum Doctor'', with the double “L” in the abbreviation referring to the early practice in the University of Cambridge to teach both canon law ...

by the Regents of the

University of the State of New York The University of the State of New York (USNY, ) is the state governmental umbrella organization that oversees all educational institutions, including schools, libraries, and museums in New York State. It is governed by the Board of Regents. D ...

in 1882. At Beloit he also served as a teacher, especially of

political economy Political or comparative economy is a branch of political science and economics studying economic systems (e.g. Marketplace, markets and national economies) and their governance by political systems (e.g. law, institutions, and government). Wi ...

, and published one or two text-books in that science. He married on August 23, 1843, Martha, daughter of Rodolphus Colton, of Lenox, Mass., who died on December 12, 1859. He next married, on August 26, 1861, Fanny L, eldest daughter of Robert Coit, of New London, Conn., who survived him. By his first marriage he had two sons who died in infancy, and a daughter who became a missionary in China, and survived him. His children by his second marriage were a son and three daughters, all of whom survived him except one daughter who died in infancy. He died in Beloit on July 22, 1892. He was 76.

References

External links

*
Beloit College archives

Books by Chapin
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chapin, Aaron Lucius 1817 births 1892 deaths Presidents of Beloit College American Presbyterian ministers Yale College alumni People from Beloit, Wisconsin Religious leaders from Hartford, Connecticut Union Theological Seminary alumni 19th-century American clergy