James David Moffat was the 3rd

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

Washington & Jefferson College Washington & Jefferson College (W&J College or W&J) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Washington, Pennsylvania, United States. The college traces its origin to three Presbyterian m ...

. Moffat, a native of

New Lisbon, Ohio Lisbon is a village in Columbiana County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. The population was 2,597 at the United States Census 2020, 2020 census. Lying along the Little Beaver Creek, the village is located southwest of Youngstown, Ohi ...

, was born on March 15, 1846. He spent his youth in St. Clairsville, Ohio, and

Bellaire, Ohio Bellaire is a village (United States)#Ohio, village in Belmont County, Ohio, United States, along the Ohio River. The population was 3,870 at the 2020 census, having peaked in 1920. It is part of the Wheeling metropolitan area. The Bellaire Brid ...

, before working as a teacher and a bookkeeper. He entered Jefferson College in 1865 and graduated from Washington & Jefferson College in 1869. He studied at

Princeton Theological Seminary Princeton Theological Seminary (PTSem), officially The Theological Seminary of the Presbyterian Church, is a Private university, private seminary, school of theology in Princeton, New Jersey, Princeton, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Establish ...

from 1869 to 1871. Following ordination in 1873, he served as pastor in

Wheeling, West Virginia Wheeling is a city in Ohio County, West Virginia, Ohio and Marshall County, West Virginia, Marshall counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia. The county seat of Ohio County, it lies along the Ohio River in the foothills of the Appalachian Mo ...

. He received three

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degrees, one from the

Western University of Pennsylvania The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The university is composed of seventeen undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, hom ...

in 1897, another from

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...

in 1901, and another from the

Missouri Valley College Missouri Valley College is a private college that is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) and located in Marshall, Missouri, United States. The college was founded in 1889 and supports 40 academic majors and an enrollment close to 1,500 ...

in 1906. Moffat received two 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 ...

degrees, one from

Hanover College Hanover College is a private college in Hanover, Indiana, United States, affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). Founded in 1827 by Reverend John Finley Crowe, it is Indiana's oldest private college. The Hanover athletic teams participat ...

in 1882 and one from the College of New Jersey in 1883. He was elected the third president of Washington & Jefferson College on November 16, 1881. During his tenure, the college experienced a period of growth, including a threefold increase in the number of professors and new campus buildings. In 1884, the college purchased the land known as the "old fair ground," now used for Cameron Stadium, for the sum of $7,025. The student body agreed to contribute one dollar each term to finance the purchase. The college built a new gymnasium (now the Old Gym) in 1893; Hays Hall was completed in 1903; Thompson Memorial Library opened in 1905; and Thistle Physics Building was completed in 1912. In 1893, the campus installed an electric lighting system. In 1892, the Board of Trustees granted a request from the senior class that they be graduated in

cap and gown Academic dress is a traditional form of clothing for academic settings, mainly tertiary (and sometimes secondary) education, worn mainly by those who have obtained a university degree (or similar), or hold a status that entitles them to assum ...

, establishing that tradition at W&J for all future commencements. Moffat personally paid for the 1912 renovations of McMillan Hall. He resigned on January 1, 1915, after 33 years of service, citing his age of 68 years and the responsibilities of his office as factors in his retirement. At that time, he was one of the oldest college presidents in continuous service in the country, and his salary of $7,100 made him one of the highest paid presidents in the country. He died in his home in

Washington, Pennsylvania Washington, also known as Little Washington to distinguish it from the District of Columbia, is a city in Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. The population was 13,176 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 censu ...

, on November 4, 1916, after a short illness.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Moffat, James 1846 births 1916 deaths Presidents of Washington & Jefferson College Washington & Jefferson College alumni Princeton Theological Seminary alumni University of Pittsburgh School of Law alumni University of Pennsylvania Law School alumni 19th-century Presbyterian ministers Presbyterian Church in the United States of America ministers People from Lisbon, Ohio People from St. Clairsville, Ohio People from Bellaire, Ohio 19th-century American clergy Moderators of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America