Andrew Dickson White

Andrew Dickson White
White in 1885
1st President of Cornell University
In office
1866–1885
Succeeded byCharles Kendall Adams
16th United States Ambassador to Germany
In office
June 19, 1879 (1879-06-19) – August 15, 1881 (1881-08-15)
Preceded byBayard Taylor
Succeeded byAaron Augustus Sargent
1st President of the American Historical Association
In office
1884–1885
Preceded byNone
Succeeded byGeorge Bancroft
41st United States Ambassador to Russia
In office
July 22, 1892 (1892-07-22) – October 1, 1894 (1894-10-01)
Preceded byCharles Emory Smith
Succeeded byClifton R. Breckinridge
24th United States Ambassador to Germany
In office
June 12, 1897 (1897-06-12) – November 27, 1902 (1902-11-27)
Preceded byEdwin F. Uhl
Succeeded byCharlemagne Tower Jr.
Member of the New York Senate
from the 22nd district
In office
1864–1867
Preceded byAllen Munroe
Succeeded byGeorge N. Kennedy
Personal details
Born(1832-11-07)November 7, 1832
Homer, New York, U.S.
DiedNovember 4, 1918(1918-11-04) (aged 85)
Andrew Dickson White House, Ithaca, New York, U.S.
Resting placeSage Chapel, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, U.S.
42°26′50″N 76°29′05″W / 42.447307°N 76.484592°W / 42.447307; -76.484592
Political partyRepublican
Height5 ft 5 in (165 cm)[1]
Spouses
Mary A. Outwater
(m. 1859; died 1887)
(m. 1890⁠–⁠1918)
ResidenceAndrew Dickson White House
Alma materYale College (BA, AM)
Signature

Andrew Dickson White (November 7, 1832 – November 4, 1918) was an American historian and educator who co-founded Cornell University, one of eight Ivy League universities in the United States, and served as its first president for nearly two decades. He was known for expanding the scope of college curricula.[2] A politician, he had served as New York state senator and was later appointed as U.S. ambassador to Germany and Russia.

He was one of the founders of the conflict thesis, which states that science and religion have historically been in conflict, and tried to prove it over the course of approximately 800 pages in his History of the Warfare of Science with Theology in Christendom.

  1. ^ Bishop, 33–34
  2. ^ "Dr. A.D. White Dies. A Cornell Founder. President of University for 18 Years Dies in Ithaca Close to His 86th Birthday. Twice Envoy to Germany. Educator Who Sought to Broaden Scope of Colleges Had Also Served as Minister to Russia. Fought for Reform in Colleges. Spent Many Years in Education". The New York Times. November 5, 1918. Retrieved March 31, 2010. Dr. Andrew D. White, first President of Cornell University, former Ambassador to Germany, and Minister to Russia, died at 8:30 o'clock this morning after a short illness following a stroke of paralysis.