William C. Young
 | This article or section is in a state of significant expansion or restructuring. You are welcome to assist in its construction by editing it as well. If this article or section has not been edited in several days, please remove this template. If you are the editor who added this template and you are actively editing, please be sure to replace this template with {{in use}} during the active editing session. Click on the link for template parameters to use.
This article was last edited by PCN02WPS (talk | contribs) 2 years ago. (Update timer) |
William C. Young | |
|---|---|
| 8th President of Centre College | |
| In office June 19, 1888 – September 16, 1896 | |
| Preceded by | Ormond Beatty |
| Succeeded by | William C. Roberts |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 23, 1842 Danville, Kentucky, US |
| Died | September 16, 1896 (aged 54) Danville, Kentucky, US |
| Resting place | Bellevue Cemetery (Danville, Kentucky) |
| Spouse |
Lucy Waller
(m. 1874; died 1896) |
| Parent(s) | John C. Young (father) Cornelia Crittendon Young (mother) |
| Bildung | Centre College (1859) Danville Theological Seminary (1865) |
William Clarke Young (April 23, 1842 – September 16, 1896) was an American minister, educator, and academic administrator who served as the eighth president of Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, from 1888 until his death in 1896.
Early life and education
William C. Young was born on April 23, 1842, in Danville, Kentucky.[1] He was the sixth child of Centre College president John C. Young and the second child he had with his second wife, Cornelia Crittendon Young.[2][3] Young attended Centre during his father's presidency, and graduated from the college in 1859.[1] He was one of twenty members of his graduating class and one of only two that went on to enter the ministry.[4] For two years after his graduation, he taught at a classical school located in Holly Springs, Mississippi, but returned to Danville in 1861.[1] He then enrolled in the Danville Theological Seminary, and graduated with a Doctor of Divinity degree in 1865.[5]
Career
After his graduation from seminary, Clarke served as a pastor for 23 years in numerous locations,[3] including Covington, Kentucky; Madison, Indiana; Chicago, Illinois; and Louisville, Kentucky.[1] In Louisville, he was named the first pastor of the new Central Presbyterian Church.[1] On June 19, 1888, the Centre College Board of Trustees elected him to the position of president following the resignation of Ormond Beatty.[1] After initially declining, he eventually accepted the position, becoming Centre's eighth president at the age of 46.[3] He started his work on campus in October 1888 and was formally inaugurated on October 9, 1889.[1] As the expectation of the time was for the president to serve as a part of the faculty as well, Young taught moral philosophy and history during his time in office.[3]
Young took over a group of six faculty members, though it was noted that there was a deficiency of professors of modern languages.[6] Subjects taught at the time included metaphysics, moral philosophy, natural and physical sciences, Greek, and Latin.[6] Tuition that year was US$45.[6] The first class to graduate during Young's presidency did so in the spring of 1889, and consisted of seven students.[7] That number rose to seventeen the following year, and did not return to being as small as they were during his first year for the remainder of his term.[7]
During his time at Centre, Young was supportive of the college's athletic programs. He wrote to the college's trustees in 1892 that sports would be "undoubtedly beneficial to the students" if properly controlled, but "[would] provide a nuisance and work evil to all" if not restricted by "stringent rules".[8]
Personal life and death
Young married Lucy Waller in 1874, though Waller was in poor health for much of their marriage, which limited the amount of time they were able to spend together.[3]
Young died of a heart attack on September 17, 1896.[9] He was buried with his wife, who died just months before him,[3] in Danville's Bellevue Cemetery, adjacent to his father's grave.[3]
John C. Fales, a long-time faculty member and the professor of natural science at Centre for much of Young's presidency, became president pro tempore following Young's death and served in that capacity for a portion of the remainder of 1896.[10] Young was formally succeeded by William C. Roberts, who assumed the presidency on June 7, 1898.[10]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "William C. Young, Centre College Presidents (1888–1896)". CentreCyclopedia. Centre College. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
- ^ "John C. Young's Children". CentreCyclopedia. Centre College. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g Johnson, Diane (2015). "The Story Behind the Name: Young Hall". Centrepiece. Centre College. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
- ^ Craig 1967, p. 33.
- ^ Report of the Commissioner of Education for the Year 1888–89, Volume II. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office. 1891. p. 1108. OCLC 55947776. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
- ^ a b c Craig 1967, p. 43.
- ^ a b Craig 1967, p. 41.
- ^ "Men's Athletics". CentreCyclopedia. Centre College. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
- ^ "Dr. W. C. Young dead". The Indianapolis Journal. Indianapolis, Indiana. September 17, 1896. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com
.
- ^ a b "Presidents". CentreCyclopedia. Centre College. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
Bibliography
- Craig, Hardin (October 1967). Centre College of Kentucky: A Tradition and an Opportunity. Danville, Kentucky: Centre College. OCLC 856258.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: year (link)