Cyrus Nutt (September 4, 1814 – August 24, 1875) served as the fifth president of
Indiana University.
Biography
Cyrus Nutt was born in
Southington Township, Trumbull County, Ohio
Southington Township is one of the twenty-four townships of Trumbull County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 3,817 people in the township.
Geography
Located in the western part of the county, it borders the following townships:
* Far ...
on September 4, 1814. His father was James Nutt and his mother was Mary Viets who married in 1806. Cyrus was the second son, with one brother and two sisters who all lived in a
log cabin
A log cabin is a small log house, especially a less finished or less architecturally sophisticated structure. Log cabins have an ancient history in Europe, and in America are often associated with first generation home building by settlers.
Eur ...
on a piece of land next to a large farm belonging James father-in-law.
Cyrus Nutt graduated from
Allegheny College (B.A. 1836). and became a professor of languages at Asbury (now
DePauw Pauw (Dutch for "peacock"), de Pauw or DePauw are variants of a Dutch or Flemish surname and may refer to:
People
;Pauw
* Adriaan Pauw (1585–1653), Dutch Grand Pensionary of Holland
*Jacques Pauw, South African investigative journalist
* Michiel ...
) University (1837-1845), pastor of
Methodist Episcopal church in Bloomington (1845), professor of Greek at Asbury University (1846-1849), president of Fort Wayne Female College (1849-1850), president of Whitewater College (1850-1855), professor of mathematics and acting president at Asbury University (1857-1860).
In 1860, Nutt was elected president of
Indiana University. During his presidency, the University attempted to create an agricultural and mechanical school under the terms of the
Morrill Act, though by 1869
Purdue
Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and money ...
was established as the land grant college of Indiana. In 1867, the Board of Trustees voted to admit women to classes, and around the same time the university experienced the beginning of organized athletics with students embracing the game of baseball. The junior and senior-class-controlled newspaper The Student also was founded that year.
The final years of Nutt’s presidency saw growing tensions with students, though the reasons are unknown. Students published a bogus newspaper in March 1873 titled The Dagger in which they attacked Nutt. In June 1875, Nutt retired from his position at the university and died on August 24, 1875, from
remittent fever
Remittent fever is a type or pattern of fever in which temperature does not touch the baseline and remains above normal throughout the day. Daily variation in temperature is more than 1°C in 24 hours, which is also the main difference as compared ...
.
He was buried in the
Forest Hill Cemetery in
Greencastle, Indiana.
Works
Several of Nutt's baccalaureate sermons were published.
Notes
References
*
External links
Indiana University President's Office records, 1857-1875
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nutt, Cyrus
1814 births
1875 deaths
Allegheny College alumni
DePauw University faculty
Presidents of Indiana University
People from Trumbull County, Ohio
Asbury University faculty