Harper, William Rainey (1856-1906)

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University of Chicago Convocation (1904)

William Rainey Harper to Jane Addams, November 6, 1902

Henry P. Chandler and William Rainey Harper to Jane Addams, December 16, 1904

James Weber Linn to Jane Addams, June 23, 1901

Jane Addams to Florence Kelley, June 30, 1901

Degree for Jane Addams, May 31, 1904

Henry P. Chandler to Jane Addams, December 28, 1904

Jane Addams to Hannah Clothier Hull, June 13, 1929

Jane Addams to William Rainey Harper, October 22, 1904

Jane Addams to Henry P. Chandler and William Rainey Harper, December 12, 1904

Jane Addams to Henry P. Chandler and William Rainey Harper, December 14, 1904

Jane Addams to Henry P. Chandler and William Rainey Harper, December 26, 1904

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Birth Date

1856-07-24

Death Date

1906-01-10

Birthplace

New Concord, OH

Description

William Rainey Harper helped establish the University of Chicago and served as the first president from 1891–1906.

Biographical Text

William Rainey Harper was a Hebrew language scholar, best known as the first president of the University of Chicago. Harper was a child prodigy who secured a Yale Ph.D. at the age of 19. He taught Greek and Latin at Denison University, the Baptist Theological Seminary, and Yale University. In 1891 he became the president of the newly established University of Chicago, an innovative effort to create a liberal university using the latest in educational theory. Harper was also involved with the work of the Chicago Board of Education. In 1905, Harper was diagnosed with intestinal cancer and still carried on his duties at the university. Harper died in 1906.

Harper married Ella Paul Harper in 1876. They had four children: Helen, Samuel, Paul and Donald.