Charles Watson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 1st President of the American University in Cairo | |
| In office 1919–1945 | |
| Succeeded by | John Badeau |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 17, 1871 Egypt |
| Died | January 11, 1948 Bryn Mawr, PA |
| Spouse | Maria Elizabeth Powell |
| Alma mater | Princeton University |
Dr. Charles R. Watson (July 17, 1871 - January 11, 1948) was the first president of the American University in Cairo.[1] His father was a member of the United Presbyterian Church Of North America African Mission. Watson grew up in Egypt and returned to the United States in 1889 to continue his education at Lawrenceville and then Princeton. He met his wife Maria Elizabeth Powell while attending Ohio State University.[2] In 1912, Watson went on a mission with the United Presbyterian Board of Missions, with the primary goal of identifying the possibility of establishing a Christian university in Egypt. He returned from the mission with the strong belief that there should be another Western institution for higher learning in Egypt.[3] The institution was finally launched in 1919 after enough funding and a suitable location could be guaranteed.[4] He remained at the AUC until John Badeau succeeded him as president in 1945, although he was still heavily active in AUC activities until he died in 1948.[5]
- ^ "History and Mission". The American University in Cairo. Archived from the original on 2011-10-17. Retrieved 2011-10-16.
- ^ Lawrence R. Murphy, The American University in Cairo: 1919 - 1987, (Cairo: American University in Cairo Press, 1987), 2
- ^ Murphy, 5-6
- ^ Murphy, 16
- ^ Murphy, 108