Charles Backus Storrs
| Charles Backus Storrs | |
|---|---|
| 1st President of Western Reserve College | |
|
In office 1830–1833 | |
| Succeeded by | George E. Pierce |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
May 23, 1794 Longmeadow, MA, U.S. |
| Died |
September 15, 1833 (aged 39) Braintree, MA, U.S. |
| Resting place |
Elm Street Cemetery Braintree, MA, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Andover Theological Seminary |
Rev. Charles Backus Storrs (May 23, 1794 – September 15, 1833) was an American minister, abolitionist, and the 1st President of Western Reserve College, now Case Western Reserve University.
Storrs was born in Longmeadow, MA, May 23, 1794. First studying at the College of New Jersey, present day Princeton, from 1810–1813, Storrs had to drop out due to poor health. Eventually following his father and both grandfathers who were clergyman, Storrs graduated from Andover Theological Seminary in 1820. Two years later in 1822 he moved into the Western Reserve of Connecticut, where he became pastor of a church in Ravenna, Ohio. In 1828, he became a professor at the newly formed Western Reserve College, in Hudson, Ohio. Two years later in 1830, he was appointed as the college's first president. During his tenure, he became known as a vocal abolitionist,[1] often collaborating with Western Reserve professor, Elizur Wright. Storrs held the office until 1833, when he had to resign due to failing health. He died on September 15, 1833 at his brother's house in Braintree, Mass.