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264:: "His 'shining morning face' was round as a baby's, and talked as pleasantly as his voice did, with smiles for accents and dimples for punctuation.... It was of him that the story was always told,--it may be as old as the invention of printing,--that he threw his sermons into a barrel, where they went to pieces and got mixed up, and that when he was going to preach he fished out what he thought would be about enough for a sermon, and patched the leaves together as he best might."
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Kirkland left behind many speeches, sermons, and dialogue over his lengthy career. He also left behind numerous letters, mostly to his nephew, which are preserved in various archives around the country. Harvard
University's archives hold most of his documents relating to his term as President of the
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John
Kirkland studied as a child at Andover and thereafter enrolled at Harvard College at the age of 15. He finished his degree there and noted in a brief autobiography that he had achieved excellence and received recognition from his professors there but also had "wasted much time, much money, some
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Kirkland's presidency is thought by some to be one of the greatest in the university's history. It has been described as the "Augustan Age" of
Harvard, as he oversaw an enormous overhauling of the university's finances, operation, and curriculum. He served with very little controversy, a record
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In 1810, Kirkland was elected
President of Harvard University. He served as president for 18 years, and retired from the position in 1828 after suffering a stroke and a period of bad health. His resignation came as a complete shock to the community. He was remembered fondly by his students as a
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Kirkland finished his degree at
Harvard in 1789 and was then enlisted as head tutor of metaphysical studies. He maintained this role until 1794, when he was invited to serve as pastor of the New South Church, a role he would fill for 16 years.
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marred mostly by the so-called "Great
Rebellion" in 1820 that saw almost an entire class expelled and a personal conflict with Dr. Nathaniel Bowditch, to whom some at the time attributed Kirkland's resignation.
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303:, at whose funeral Kirkland delivered the eulogy. He left behind a small autobiography, written shortly after he graduated from Harvard. Some notable works include:
203:. He is remembered chiefly for his major renovations to the university structure and the so-called "Augustan Age" that Harvard went through under his leadership.
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Kirkland's studies were briefly interrupted by a stint in the military during Shay's
Rebellion in the winter of 1787, when he served under
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described
Kirkland's sermons as "full of intellectual wealth and practical wisdom, with sometimes a quaintness that bordered on humor."
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virtue, and some health." He was particularly noteworthy in his studies of Latin and metaphysical sciences.
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Biography and summary of presidency, part of a series of
Harvard's Unitarian Presidents
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306:(1795) 'A Sermon, Preached before the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company.'
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thoughtful, genuine, and amiable man who was more a friend than a superior.
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309:(1800) 'A Discourse Occasioned by the Death of General George Washington.'
312:(1816) 'A Discourse, Presented before His Excellency Caleb Strong.'
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in 1812. His wife
Elizabeth Cabot was the daughter of Congressman
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This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the
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from 1810 to 1828. As an undergraduate, he was a member of the
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university. He had a few preferred publishers, most notably
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This biography of an American academic administrator is a
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in Boston, 1794–1810. He was elected a Fellow of the
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Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
185:(August 17, 1770 – April 26, 1840) was an American
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215:John and his twin brother, George, were born at
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854:* indicates acting or interim president
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972:American academic administrator stubs
331:"Kirkland, John Thornton (1770-1840)"
280:American Academy of Arts and Sciences
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260:describes him thus, in his study of
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358:"MRS. KIRKLAND AMONG THE ONEIDAS"
274:Kirkland served as pastor of the
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456:President of Harvard University
197:President of Harvard University
16:President of Harvard University
362:Woman on the American Frontier
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284:American Antiquarian Society
356:Fowler, William W. (1876).
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122:Herkimer County, New York
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337:. Harvard Square Library
335:harvardsquarelibrary.org
240:General Benjamin Lincoln
225:Jerusha Bingham Kirkland
156:Jerusha Bingham Kirkland
967:Phillips Academy alumni
183:John Thornton Kirkland
30:John Thornton Kirkland
622:Winthrop* (1773-1774)
258:Oliver Wendell Holmes
138:Boston, Massachusetts
56:15th President of
962:Hasty Pudding alumni
744:Peabody* (1868–1869)
262:Ralph Waldo Emerson
217:Herkimer, New York
59:Harvard University
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463:Succeeded by
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133:(1840-04-26)
89:Succeeded by
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46:, circa 1816
42:Portrait by
26:The Reverend
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942:1840 deaths
937:1770 births
832:(2023–2024)
824:(2018–2023)
816:(2007–2018)
800:(2001–2006)
792:(1991–2001)
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77:Preceded by
931:Categories
790:Rudenstine
644:J. Willard
575:S. Willard
460:1810–1828
316:References
115:1770-08-17
591:Wadsworth
211:Biography
193:clergyman
187:Unitarian
165:Signature
71:1810–1828
67:In office
676:Kirkland
670:* (1810)
609:* (1769)
607:Winthrop
583:Leverett
231:, D. D.
798:Summers
729:Peabody
697:Everett
652:Pearson
628:Langdon
599:Holyoke
535:Chauncy
527:Dunster
368:May 29,
341:May 29,
144:Parents
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838:Garber
766:Conant
758:Lowell
721:Felton
713:Walker
705:Sparks
689:Quincy
660:Webber
567:Mather
559:Rogers
822:Bacow
814:Faust
774:Pusey
750:Eliot
615:Locke
551:Oakes
519:Eaton
397:(PDF)
294:Works
888:stub
737:Hill
668:Ware
543:Hoar
405:2016
370:2022
343:2022
128:Died
109:Born
830:Gay
806:Bok
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
