Charles William Dabney

Not to be confused with Charles William Dabney (1786-1833); Charles William Dabney (1794-1871), the U.S. consul for the Azores; and Charles William Dabney (1809-1895), another members of the extended Dabney family.

Portrait of Dabney by Lloyd Branson

Charles William Dabney Jr. (June 19, 1855 – June 15, 1945) was president of the University of Tennessee and the University of Cincinnati. In 1893-1896, he served as an assistant secretary at the United States Department of Agriculture.

Biography

He was born on June 19, 1855 in Hampden-Sydney, Virginia to Robert Lewis Dabney and Lavinia Morrison. He completed his B.S. at Hampden-Sydney College at age 17. He then attended the University of Virginia and graduated with an M.S. in chemistry in 1877.[1]

He taught for a year at Emory and Henry College and then entered the University of Goettingen in Germany in 1878 and graduated with a Ph.D. in 1880. He returned to the United States where he married Mary Chilton Brent of Fayette County, Kentucky, and they had three daughters. In 1880-1887, he worked as the director of the Agricultural Experiment Station in North Carolina and professor of chemistry at the University of North Carolina.[2]

He became president of the University of Tennessee in 1887 and served in that capacity until 1904. As president, he added six new four-year courses in science, and admitted the University's first female students.[3]

He became president of the University of Cincinnati on January 12, 1904 and served until 1920. In 1893, he was named to be Assistant Secretary of Agriculture by Grover Cleveland.[4]

He died on June 15, 1945.[1]

Recognition

Dabney received honorary doctorates from Yale, Johns Hopkins, Davidson, and Washington and Lee universities. He was elected a member of the Order of Academic Palms and the Legion of Honour in France. He directed the U.S. government exhibits at the 1895 Cotton States and International Exposition in Atlanta, Georgia, and the 1897 Tennessee Centennial Exhibition.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 "The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture: Charles W. Dabney". Retrieved 2011-11-20.
  2. 1 2 Maurice M. Bursey. Dabney, Charles William, Dictionary of North Carolina Biography.
  3. ↑ "Charles W. Dabney: Eleventh President, 1887-1904". University of Tennessee. Retrieved 2011-11-20.
  4. ↑ "Dr. Charles W. Dabney Selected. To be the Assistant Secretary of Agriculture". The New York Times. December 11, 1893. Retrieved 2011-11-20. The President to-day sent to the Senate the name of Charles W. Dabney, Jr., of Tennessee to be Assistant Secretary of Agriculture, vice Edwin Willits, resigned. Dr. Dabney is the President of the University of Tennessee. ...
Academic offices
Preceded by
Joseph Edward Harry		 President of the University of Cincinnati
1904 – 1920		 Succeeded by
Frederick Charles Hicks


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