Cyrus Grandison Baldwin (October 10, 1852January 10, 1931) was an American minister in the
Congregational Church, the first official president of
Pomona College
Pomona College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Claremont, California. It was established in 1887 by a group of Congregationalists who wanted to recreate a "college of the New England type" in Southern California. In 1925, it beca ...
, and a pioneer of
hydroelectric power
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined a ...
in Southern California.
Early life and career
Baldwin was born in
Napoli, New York
Napoli is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. It is located in the western half of the county, northwest of Salamanca. The only permanent community in the town is Napoli village, formerly "Napoli Corners". The population was 1,1 ...
, in 1852. He moved to Ohio with his family when he was a child and graduated from
Oberlin College in 1873. He completed his seminary degree at
Andover Theological Seminary
Andover Theological Seminary (1807–1965) was a Congregationalist seminary founded in 1807 and originally located in Andover, Massachusetts on the campus of Phillips Academy. From 1908 to 1931, it was located at Harvard University in Cambridge. ...
in 1876, becoming ordained five years later.
After that, he became a professor of Latin at
Ripon College,
and helped fundraise for the
YMCA
YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams (philanthropist), Georg ...
.
Pomona College presidency
His success at the latter endeavor led to his election as the first official president of
Pomona College
Pomona College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Claremont, California. It was established in 1887 by a group of Congregationalists who wanted to recreate a "college of the New England type" in Southern California. In 1925, it beca ...
in 1890 by its board of trustees,
succeeding trustee
Charles B. Sumner
Charles Burt Sumner (August 17, 1837July 11, 1927) was a minister in the Congregational church and a founding trustee of Pomona College who served as its de facto first president.
Life and career
Sumner was born on August 17, 1837, in Southbri ...
, who had led the college during its founding years. He became popular among both students and community members, enjoying a loyal following.
During his tenure, he sought to raise desperately needed funds for the fledgling school, ultimately increasing its endowment by $100,000 (equivalent to $ in ).
When a donor offered to fund a second building for the college, he argued for it to be built in
Claremont Claremont may refer to:
Places Australia
*Claremont, Ipswich, a heritage-listed house in Queensland
* Claremont, Tasmania, a suburb of Hobart
* Claremont, Western Australia, a suburb of Perth
** Claremont Football Club, West Australian Footba ...
, rather than the college's planned permanent location at Piedmont Mesa north of
Pomona
Pomona may refer to:
Places Argentina
* Pomona, Río Negro
Australia
* Pomona, Queensland, Australia, a town in the Shire of Noosa
* Pomona, New South Wales, Australia
Belize
* Pomona, Belize, a municipality in Stann Creek District
Mexico ...
. The decision was supported by the college's board of trustees in a seven-to-four vote, establishing Claremont as the college's permanent home.
In 1891, as part of his fundraising efforts, Baldwin founded the
San Antonio Light and Power Company, which built a
hydroelectric power station
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined an ...
in
San Antonio Canyon that transmitted power to the valley via
high-voltage transmission, the first such instance in California.
The venture was ultimately unprofitable, though, due to the inconsistency of the water supply.
By 1897, he had become overwhelmed with the pressure of fundraising and resigned at the request of the board of trustees. Upon his retirement, the class of 1898 commissioned an oil portrait for him, noting "his keen sense of justice, his insight into human nature, his scholarly attainments, his broad humanity and his liberal culture," and adding "but more than that, we love the man."
He maintained close ties with Pomona following his presidency, and his daughter, Florence, graduated from the college in 1901.
Later life and death
After leaving higher education, Baldwin continued his efforts with the San Antonio Light and Power Company, seeking to build another power station and irrigation project at
Mill Creek in San Bernardino County.
However, the venture failed due to a combination of lack of funding, drought, and
water rights
Water right in water law refers to the right of a user to use water from a water source, e.g., a river, stream, pond or source of groundwater. In areas with plentiful water and few users, such systems are generally not complicated or contentio ...
disputes.
He moved to
Palo Alto
Palo Alto (; Spanish for "tall stick") is a charter city in the northwestern corner of Santa Clara County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area, named after a coastal redwood tree known as El Palo Alto.
The city was es ...
in 1902, where he served as the pastor of the city's Congregational church from 1902 to 1910.
He died of a stroke on January 10, 1931.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baldwin, Cyrus G.
Baldwin
Baldwin is a Germanic name, composed of the elements ''bald'' "bold" and ''win'' "friend".
People
* Baldwin (name)
Places Canada
* Baldwin, York Regional Municipality, Ontario
* Baldwin, Ontario, in Sudbury District
* Baldwin's Mills, Qu ...
1852 births
1931 deaths
People from Cattaraugus County, New York
Andover Theological Seminary alumni
Oberlin College alumni
Ripon College (Wisconsin) faculty
American Congregationalist ministers
Hydroelectric engineers