William Watts Folwell

William Watts Folwell
President of the University of Minnesota
In office 1869–1884
Preceded by	none
Succeeded by	Cyrus Northrop
Personal details
Born	(1833-02-14)February 14, 1833 Romulus, New York
Died	September 17, 1929(1929-09-17) (aged 96) Minneapolis, Minnesota

William Watts Folwell (February 14, 1833 – September 17, 1929) was the first president of the University of Minnesota.

Biography

William Watts Folwell attended Hobart College in Geneva, New York, where he received his undergraduate degree in 1857. Fowell was a member of Alpha Delta Phi fraternity at Hobart. In 1859, he became adjunct professor of mathematics there, and received a Master of Arts degree in 1860. He spent the years 1860-1861 in the study of philology at Berlin and in travel.^[1] During the American Civil War, he served in the 50th Regiment, New York Engineers, where he received the rank of brevet lieutenant colonel of engineers.

After the Civil War, Folwell engaged in business, but in 1869 accepted the chair of mathematics in Kenyon College, Ohio.^[1] Later that year, at the age of just 36, he became the University of Minnesota's first president, serving from 1869 to 1884. When Folwell assumed the University presidency there was but a single building, and the library consisted of only a 16 volume encyclopedia. After his resignation from the presidency, he remained at the University as professor of political science and librarian.^[1]

Folwell later became president of the Minnesota Historical Society, serving there from 1924 to 1927. Folwell Hall on the East Bank of the Minneapolis campus of the University of Minnesota is named for him, as is Folwell Park in north Minneapolis. William Watts Folwell Junior High (later Middle) School was a public school that operated in south Minneapolis from 1932 to 2010.

Publications

Folwell's grave at Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis

Books written by Folwell:

• Folwell, William Watts (1908). Minnesota, the North Star State. Boston; New York: Houghton Mifflin Co. OCLC 409032. 
• Folwell, William Watts (1909). University Addresses. Minneapolis: H.W. Wilson. OCLC 6362596. 
• Folwell, William Watts (1918). Economic Addresses. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota. OCLC 6389162. 
• Folwell, William Watts (1921–1930). A History of Minnesota. St. Paul, Minn.: Minnesota Historical Society. OCLC 376916. 
• Folwell, William Watts; Buck, Solon J. (1933). William Watts Folwell; The Autobiography and Letters of a Pioneer of Culture. Minneapolis: The University of Minnesota Press. OCLC 2287639. 

Papers

William Watts Folwell's papers are available for research use. They include correspondence, civil war letters, genealogical correspondence, manuscripts by Folwell, newspaper clippings, and diaries by Folwell.^[2]

See also

References

External links

• University of Minnesota, Office of the President