John Runkle
| John Daniel Runkle | |
|---|---|
 |
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| President of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology | |
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In office 1870–1879 |
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| Preceded by | William Rogers |
| Succeeded by | William Rogers |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
October 11, 1822 Root, New York |
| Died | July 8, 1902 (aged 79) Southwest Harbor, Maine |
| Alma mater | Lawrence Scientific School of Harvard University, (B.S., 1851) |
John Daniel Runkle (October 11, 1822 – July 8, 1902) was a U.S. educator and mathematician. He served as acting president of MIT from 1868–70 and president between 1870 and 1878.
Professor Runkle was born at Root, New York State. He worked on his father's farm until he was of age, and then studied and taught until he entered the Lawrence Scientific School of Harvard University, where he graduated in 1851. His ability as a mathematician led in 1849 to his appointment as assistant in the preparation of the American Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac, in which he continued to engage until 1884. He was professor of mathematics in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology from 1865 until his retirement in 1902. Runkle become aware of the work of Victor Della-Vos's work in Russia at the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition in 1876, he was impressed by the combination of theoretical and practical learning. Manual training was introduced into the institute curriculum largely at his instance. He founded the Mathematical Monthly in 1859 and continued its publication until 1861, and he had charge of the astronomical department of the Illustrated Pilgrim's Almanac.
In the town of Brookline, Massachusetts, Runkle was a chairman of the School Committee and an early advocate of mathematics and technical education. He received an LL.D from Wesleyan University, in Middletown, Connecticut
John D. Runkle School, an elementary school located at 50 Druce Street in Brookline, was established in his name in 1897.
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