George Thacher (July 25, 1817 – December 27, 1878) was the fifth President of the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (U of I, UIowa, or Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized int ...

, serving from 1871 to 1877.

Early life

George Thacher was born on July 25, 1817, in

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 ...

, to Anne (née Parks) and Peter Thacher. 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 1840. He studied for three years in the

Yale Divinity School Yale Divinity School (YDS) is one of the twelve graduate and professional schools of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Congregationalist theological education was the motivation at the founding of Yale, and the professional school has ...

Career

Thacher began preaching in June 1843 in the Congregational Church in

Derby Derby ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area on the River Derwent, Derbyshire, River Derwent in Derbyshire, England. Derbyshire is named after Derby, which was its original co ...

and was ordained paster on January 4, 1844. He moved to the Congregational Church in

Nantucket, Massachusetts Nantucket () is an island in the state of Massachusetts in the United States, about south of the Cape Cod peninsula. Together with the small islands of Tuckernuck Island, Tuckernuck and Muskeget Island, Muskeget, it constitutes the Town and Co ...

, and preached there from November 14, 1848, to May 14, 1850. He was then pastor at Allen Street Presbyterian Church in New York City from May 26, 1850, to October 9, 1854. He was pastor at the 1st Congregational Church in

Meriden, Connecticut Meriden ( ) is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States, located halfway between the regional cities of New Haven, Connecticut, New Haven and Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford. The city is part of the South Central Connecticut Planni ...

, from November 16, 1854, to September 18, 1860. He was pastor at Orthodox Congregational Church in

Keokuk, Iowa Keokuk is a city in and a county seat of Lee County, Iowa, United States. It is Iowa's southernmost city. The population was 9,900 at the time of the United States Census, 2020, 2020 census. The city is named after the Sauk people, Sauk chief K ...

, from October 30, 1860, to April 8, 1867. He spent some months in Europe and then took temporary charge of a church in

Waterloo, Iowa Waterloo is a city in and the county seat of Black Hawk County, Iowa, Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2020 United States census the population was 67,314, making it the List of cities in Iowa, eighth-most populous city in the st ...

, in October 1868. Thacher served as president of the

from April 1871 to June 1877. While he was president, the college established the homeopathic department and the department of civil engineering. He re-introduced the military science program and the university built its first sports field. During his tenure, Iowa's high schools became more associated with the university and students from qualified high schools had their entrance examinations exempt. He left the presidency due to poor health. He then preached at the Congregational Church in

Iowa City Iowa City is the largest city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. At the time of the 2020 census the population was 74,828, making it the state's fifth-most populous city. The Iowa City metropolitan area, which enc ...

. He resigned due to health in March 1878.

Personal life

Thacher married Sarah M. Smith, daughter of reverend Noah Smith, of South Britain, Connecticut, in April 1844. They had two children. She died in 1850. He married her sister Mary S. Smith on August 27, 1851. They had one child. He was the brother of Yale administrator and professor Thomas Anthony Thacher. Thacher died from a disease of the brain and heart on December 27, 1878, at his home on Asylum Avenue and Gillette Street in Hartford.

Awards

In 1871, he received an honorary

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 ...

by both Knox College and by Iowa College.

References

Presidents of the University of Iowa 1817 births 1878 deaths Educators from Hartford, Connecticut Yale Divinity School alumni American Congregationalist ministers American Presbyterian ministers Yale College alumni 19th-century American educators 19th-century American clergy {{US-academic-administrator-1810s-stub