George Whitaker (Oregon Educator)
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George Whitaker (May 14, 1836November 1, 1917) was an American minister and university president in
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
and
Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...
. A native of
Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
, he served as the president of
Wiley College Wiley University (formerly Wiley College) is a private historically black college in Marshall, Texas. Founded in 1873 by the Methodist Episcopal Church's Bishop Isaac Wiley and certified in 1882 by the Freedman's Aid Society, it is one of the ...
in Texas, along with
Willamette University Willamette University is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college with locations in Salem, Oregon, Salem and Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest college in the Western United ...
and
Portland University Portland University was a private, Methodist post-secondary school in Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1891 in a split from Willamette University, the school closed in 1900. The campus was located in what is now the University Park ne ...
in Oregon. A Methodist trained preacher and graduate of
Wesleyan University Wesleyan University ( ) is a Private university, private liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut, United States. It was founded in 1831 as a Men's colleges in the United States, men's college under the Methodi ...
, he also worked as a pastor across the country in the late 19th century, primarily in
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.


Early years

George Whitaker was born on May 14, 1836, to Catherine Cravath Holland and Edgar Kimball Whitaker in
Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
.Eliot, Samuel Atkins. (1911)
''Biographical History of Massachusetts Biographies and Autobiographies of the Leading Men in the State''.
Massachusetts Biographical Society, Vol. 3.
Leonard, John William and Albert Nelson Marquis. (1903)
''Who's who in America''.
Marquis. p. 1593.
Raised on a farm, he was the third oldest among eleven children in the family. His father was a merchant of English heritage who worked for the United States Customs in Boston and
New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
, also acting as a clerk in
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
for the Department of the Treasury. George's great-grandfather, Nathaniel Whitaker, helped found
Dartmouth College Dartmouth College ( ) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, Dartmouth is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the America ...
. He received his early education in Massachusetts at schools such as the Bridgewater Normal School (now
Bridgewater State College Bridgewater State University is a public university with its main campus in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, United States. It is the largest of nine state universities in Massachusetts. Including its off-campus sites in New Bedford, Attleboro, and ...
), the Wesleyan Academy in Wilbraham, and the West Newton Model School. Whitaker moved on to college at
Wesleyan University Wesleyan University ( ) is a Private university, private liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut, United States. It was founded in 1831 as a Men's colleges in the United States, men's college under the Methodi ...
in
Middletown, Connecticut Middletown is a city in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. Located along the Connecticut River, in the central part of the state, 16 miles (25.749504 km) south of Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford. Middletown is the largest city in the L ...
, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1861.Marquis, Albert Nelson. (1916)
''Who's Who in New England: A Biographical Dictionary of Leading Men and Women of the State of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut''.
A.N. Marquis. Vol. 1, p. 1140.
At the school he was a member of the Phi Nu Theta and
Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States. It was founded in 1776 at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences, ...
fraternities. On June 22, 1861, he married Harriet Clarke from Forestville, Connecticut, and they had four children; Harriet Clarke, George Edgar, John Holland, and a son who died as an infant.Hughes, Thomas Patrick and Frank Munsell. (1892)
''American Ancestry: Giving the Name and Descent, in the Male Line, of Americans whose Ancestors Settled in the United States Previous to the Declaration of Independence, A.D. 1776''.
J. Munsell's Sons. Vol. 7, pp. 101-102.
Whitaker then started working as a pastor for the Methodist Episcopal church in West Medway, Massachusetts, in 1861 and remained until 1863.Wesleyan University, & Nicolson, F. W. (1911)
''Alumni Record of Wesleyan University, Middletown, Conn''.
New Haven, Conn: The Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Company. Fourth Edition, p. 192, 227.
In 1863, he moved on to the church in South Walpole where he remained until 1864. During this time, he continued his studies and earned a Master of Arts degree from Wesleyan in 1864, where his brother Nicholas also attended. In 1865, he began preaching at the church in Roxbury followed by Lowell from 1867 to 1869. Whitaker then moved on to the church in Westfield in 1870, the Boston Street Church in Lynn in 1872, and the Saratoga Street church in Boston in 1873. From 1874 to 1878 he served as a presiding elder for the Springfield District of the church before returning to preaching at Ipswich, Massachusetts where he was stationed until 1879. He moved on to the Trinity Church in Cambridge where he served from 1879 to 1882, and to the First Church in Somerville from that year until 1884. In 1885, he began service at the Grace Church in Worcester, remaining until 1888.


Educator

Whitaker began a career as an administrator at Methodist colleges in 1888. He started at
Wiley College Wiley University (formerly Wiley College) is a private historically black college in Marshall, Texas. Founded in 1873 by the Methodist Episcopal Church's Bishop Isaac Wiley and certified in 1882 by the Freedman's Aid Society, it is one of the ...
, a school for Blacks in
Marshall, Texas Marshall is a city in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat of Harrison County, Texas, Harrison County and a cultural and educational center of the Ark-La-Tex region. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, the population of ...
, succeeding N. D. Clifford. Serving as president from 1888 until 1891, he also was granted a doctor of divinity from Fort Worth University in
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
in 1890. In 1891, he took the same position at
Willamette University Willamette University is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college with locations in Salem, Oregon, Salem and Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest college in the Western United ...
in
Salem, Oregon Salem ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County, Oregon, Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, w ...
, with P. A. Pool replacing him at Wiley. He became the seventh president of the university on July 25, 1891, replacing Thomas Van Scoy who had left to help establish
Portland University Portland University was a private, Methodist post-secondary school in Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1891 in a split from Willamette University, the school closed in 1900. The campus was located in what is now the University Park ne ...
in a split with Willamette.Gatke, R. M., & Gregg, R. D. (1943). ''Chronicles of Willamette''. Portland, Or: Binfords and Mort. Vol. I, pp. 417-421, 436. Whitaker also served on the faculty as a professor of mental and moral science.Baker, Frank C. (1893)
''Tenth Biennial Report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction of the State of Oregon to the Legislative Assembly Regular Session 1893''.
State of Oregon. p. 108.
As president he banned talking between the sexes at the school and banned walking with members of the opposite sex, which was unusual for the school. On September 16, 1891, the main building on campus, University Hall, lost its roof in a fire. Whitaker was able to have classes resume two-and-half hours later. He also suggested renaming the building as Waller Hall, which did occur many years later. Whitaker was responsible for establishing a graduate program in 1892 to confer the degree of
doctor of philosophy A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of Postgraduate education, graduate study and original resear ...
. During his tenure he clashed with the board of trustees, the students, and faculty over his old fashioned ways and made an attempt to gain full control over the university in 1893, threatening to resign. The trustees declined giving him the power he sought, and he resigned from the school that year. He was replaced by Willis C. Hawley who had been a mathematics teacher at the school. Following his tenure at Willamette, Whitaker moved to
Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...
, where he was the pastor at St. Paul's Church in 1893, followed by the same position in
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,
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, from 1894 to 1896. He then returned to Massachusetts from 1897 to 1899 to preach at two churches in that state. In 1899, he was hired to be the president of Portland University, Willamette's financially failing rival, and where his son John Holland earned a degree. Whitaker served as the president until its end, working out a deal to merge what remained of the school into Willamette.


Later years

After leaving Oregon, he returned to be pastor at the Trinity Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts, serving from 1900 to 1905. Whitaker then held positions in Lowell, Orient Heights, and Linden. In civic affairs he was a member of the Republican Party, the Sons of Temperance, the Temple of Honor, the Evening Star, and a Freemason. He also was the librarian of the New England Methodist Historical Society at one time. George Whitaker died at his home in
Somerville, Massachusetts Somerville ( ) is a city located directly to the northwest of Boston, and north of Cambridge, Massachusetts, Cambridge, in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the city had a total population of 81, ...
on November 1, 1917.Manuscript History Collection: Author (S-Z).
Boston University School of Theology Archives, February 19, 2003. Retrieved on April 11, 2009.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Whitaker, George 1836 births 1917 deaths Clergy from Boston Presidents of Willamette University Clergy from Portland, Oregon Wesleyan University alumni Wiley University faculty