Interesting Facts on Knox Presidents (Side II)

Hiram Huntington Kellog (1841- 1845)- He sold his domestic seminary at Clinton, New York to become president of Knox College.

Jonathan Blanchard (1845-1857)- As a Cincinnati minister he hated sins such as rum, Sabbath’ breaking, and free masonry.

Harvey Curtis (1858-1863) and William Stanton Curtis (1863-1868)- They had the same name but no relation and were devout Presbyterians. During their presidencies, the Civil War depleted the college of male students.

John Putnam Gulliver (1868-1872)- He made Knox College co-ed but sexes were seated separately in chapel and classrooms.

Newton Bateman (1874-1892)- He introduced a military drill on campus.

John Huston Finley (1892-1899)- He was the first Knox alumnus to become president of the college and became the youngest president of any American college at the time.

Thomas McClelland (1900-1917)- He was known for increasing Knox’s endowment and honored by City of Galesburg for bringing $50,000 of Carnegie funds to the city library.

James Lukens McConaughy (1918-1925)- As president, he wiped out the old traces of the old prairie college which had served long and well; a modernization that began with Finley.

Albert Britt (1925-1936)- He was the second alumnus to serve as president and built stimulated interest in athletic sports.

Carter Davidson (1936-1946)- His administration was shadowed by the Great Depression and WWII but despite this he raised faculty’s salaries and modernized the curriculum.

Lyndon Osmond Brown (1947-1948)-He had the shortest presidency in Knox College’s history with 18 months of service to re-enter his special field of marketing research in New York.

Sharvy G. Umbeck (1949-1973)- He was the longest serving president of Knox College with a 24 yr and expanded the college from 37 acres to 72 acres.

E. Inman Fox (1974-1982)- He was an eager participant of Flunk Day.

John Patrick McCall (1982-1993)- Under his presidency, the field house and the A.B.L.E house were built and he believed that no student should be deprived of a Knox education beyond their control.

Frederick c. Nahm (1993-1998)- He was the author of many articles and book chapters on fund-raising, strategic planning and management.

Richard S. Millman (1999-2001)- He was also a professor in the mathematics department during his administration at Knox.

Roger Taylor (2001-2011)- He was the third alumnus to serve as president and was the smallest member of the Knox football team during his time as a student.