Rufus Cowles Crampton (1828 - June 13, 1888) was an American educator. He was acting president of

Illinois College Illinois College is a private liberal arts college in Jacksonville, Illinois. It is affiliated with the United Church of Christ and the Presbyterian Church (USA). It was the second college founded in Illinois but the first to grant a degree (in ...

from 1877 to 1881 and founder of Jacksonville Business College.

Early years

Crampton, son of William and Esther (Cowles) Crampton, was born in

Farmington, Connecticut Farmington is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, Hartford County in the Farmington Valley area of central Connecticut in the United States. The town is part of the Capitol Planning Region, Connecticut, Capitol Planning Region. The populati ...

in 1828. He taught in his native town for a year after graduating from Yale College in 1851, and then after a brief engagement as a private tutor took charge of an academy in

Montrose, Pennsylvania Montrose is a borough in and the county seat of Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, United States. The land is elevated approximately above sea level. History Montrose was laid out in 1812 in an area of Pennsylvania historically associated wi ...

. In 1854 he accepted an appointment as Professor of Mathematics and Astronomy at Illinois College, at

Jacksonville, Illinois Jacksonville is a city and the county seat of Morgan County, Illinois, United States. The population was 17,616 at the 2020 census, down from 19,446 in 2010. It is home to Illinois College, Illinois School for the Deaf, and the Illinois Sc ...

, where he continued to do excellent service until overcome by illness.

Career

He served during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

as Lieutenant Colonel of the 145th Illinois Volunteers, called out for 100 days in 1864. In May 1866, he founded Jacksonville Business College. In 1870 he assumed the financial management of Illinois College; and in 1877 he was made acting President, and held this position for four years. Meantime his health had given way, and though for six years longer he was able with difficulty to perform his duties as Professor, the closing year of his life was one of utter prostration. He is the namesake of Crampton Hall at Illinois College.

Death

He died in Jacksonville on June 13, 1888, at the age of 60.

Family life

He married, about the time of his removal to Jacksonville, Adeline Hart, daughter of Simeon Hart, who survived him with their only child, a son, who was graduated at Illinois College.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Crampton, rufus cowles 1828 births 1888 deaths Illinois College faculty Yale College alumni People from Farmington, Connecticut Union army colonels