Hurst Robins Anderson

Hurst Robins Anderson (September 16, 1904 – April 19, 1989) was an American educator and academic administrator. He was president of Centenary Junior College (now Centenary University), Hamline University, and American University, for various periods between 1943 to 1968.

Early life and education

Hurst Robins Anderson was born on September 16, 1904, in Cleveland, Ohio. He was named for John Fletcher Hurst. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU) in 1926. There, he was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. After leaving OWU, he began law school at the University of Michigan Law School, but he did not complete his degree due to lack of funds. After leaving Michigan, he enrolled at Northwestern University and graduated with a Master of Arts degree in speech in 1928.

Career

Anderson's career in academia began in 1929, when he took a position as a professor at Allegheny College, in Meadville, Pennsylvania, teaching debate and English. He was also the college registrar during part of his time at Allegheny. In May 1932, he was the commencement speaker at Plumville High School in Pennsylvania. He accepted the presidency of Centenary Junior College (now Centenary University) in Hackettstown, New Jersey, on June 29, 1943, and he assumed office on August 15 of that year. Early into his term, he appointed Margaret Hight to be the school's new dean; she had previously been assistant dean. On October 24, 1945, Anderson participated in the inauguration ceremony for his brother, Paul R. Anderson, as the new president of the Pennsylvania College for Women (now Chatham University). Anderson's administration announced an $800,000 fundraiser in April 1946, with funds primarily to be used in improving existing campus facilities and constructing several new buildings, including a gym and dormitory. Of the amount sought by the fundraiser, the school aimed to raise $300,000 by July 1947; Anderson announced that this mark had been exceeded in late December 1946. Earlier that year, he had been elected president of the New Jersey Association of Colleges for a two-year term.

Anderson accepted the presidency of Hamline University, in St. Paul, Minnesota, in May 1948, effective July 1, 1948. His successor at Centenary was Edward W. Seay, elected by the trustees late that July. Anderson's formal inauguration at Hamline was held October 23, 1948. At Ohio Wesleyan's 1949 commencement ceremonies, Anderson and his brother, also an alumnus of the school, were awarded honorary Doctor of Laws degrees. Several months earlier, Anderson announced plans to spend $2 million to renovate multiple buildings on Hamline's campus and built numerous others, including science, arts, and recreational facilities, and a women's dormitory. The plans were timed to coincide with the university's 100th anniversary. The school received a $515,000 donation in December 1949; Anderson announced the money would go towards new classroom and laboratory spaces.

Anderson was announced as the incoming president of American University, in Washington, D.C., on June 7, 1952. He took office on September 1, 1952, and was the school's first lay president. Before taking office, he remarked that changes to the undergraduate curriculum and administrative reform would be priorities of his administration; his predecessor, Paul Douglass, resigned after the school received criticism from an accreditation agency regarding its administrative practices. He also reaffirmed his opposition to the university reestablishing its football program, which had been disbanded following the 1941 season. He was inaugurated as American's president in February 1953; during his inaugural address, he announced a proposal for a $10 million development plan to be completed over a 10-year period; the proposal called for half of the funds to be put towards new campus buildings—for law, social science, and public affairs, among others—and half to be put towards the school's endowment. That month, his administration also announced a reformation to the curriculum for new students starting with the 1953–1954 academic year.

Personal life and death

Anderson married Marian Powell, a teacher from Norwalk, Ohio, on August 24, 1932. The wedding ceremony was held in Ashland, Ohio. He died of bone cancer in St. Petersburg, Florida, on April 19, 1989.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Anderson, Hurst Robins
1904 births
1989 deaths
Chancellors and presidents of American University
20th-century American academics
Ohio Wesleyan University alumni
Northwestern University alumni
Allegheny College faculty
People from Cleveland
Deaths from cancer in Florida
Deaths from bone cancer in the United States
Sigma Alpha Epsilon members