Ralph Cooper Hutchinson
| Ralph Cooper Hutchison | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | February 27, 1898 Colorado |
| Died | March 15, 1966 (aged 68) Bryn Mawr Hospital |
| Education |
Lafayette College Harvard University University of Pennsylvania Princeton Theological Seminary |
| Church | Presbyterian |
| Ordained | April 21, 1922 |
|
Offices held
|
7th President of Jefferson College (1931–1945) President of Lafayette College (1945–1957) |
Ralph Cooper Hutchison (February 27, 1898 – March 15, 1966) was president of Washington & Jefferson College and Lafayette College.
Hutchison was born in Colorado on February 27, 1898. He attended Lafayette College, graduating in 1918. He served in the United States Naval Aviation Corps from May to November 1918. In 1919, following his service, Hutchison earned a master's degree from Harvard University. He attended Princeton Theological Seminary and was ordained as a preacher in the Presbyterian Church on April 21, 1922. He earned a PhD degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1925. In 1930, Lafayette College conferred the Doctor of Divinity degree on Dr. Hutchison. He also worked for the Presbyterian Board of Christian Education and was a missionary in Persia. He served as Dean of the , which he grew from a small high school to an institution of over 800. He returned to the United States when his wife contracted an "Asiatic malady."
Following the resignation of President Baker, Hutchison was unanimously elected the seventh president of Washington & Jefferson College on November 13, 1931; he was inaugurated on April 2, 1932, making him at 34 years old one of the youngest college presidents in the county. Following the contentious tenure of President Baker, Time Magazine noted that Hutchison "pleased nearly everyone." Hutchison, in his inaugural address, spoke out against the "false, materialistic doctrine" of going to college "because it pays." Instead, he encouraged students to appreciate the oldtime college education, which was "inviting only to those who did not set profit or wealth as their main objectives in life."
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