Jacob Rutsen Hardenbergh
Encyclopedia
Jacob Rutsen Hardenbergh (February 22, 1736 – 30 October 1790) was a Dutch Reformed minister and the first President
of Queen's College (now Rutgers University
) from 1785 to his death in 1790.
. He became a preacher
in the Dutch Reformed faith
and was active in establishing a college
in New Jersey
that would be affiliated with the Dutch church. He lived in the Old Dutch Parsonage
in Somerville, New Jersey
. In 1763, he traveled to Europe
and appealed to King George III
of England
on behalf of the proposal. On 10 November 1766, Royal Governor William Franklin
chartered Queen's College. Hardenbergh served as an early Trustee
of the college.
He served as a delegate
to New Jersey's last Provincial Congress, which met in Burlington, New Jersey
in 1776 to ratify the Declaration of Independence and to frame the first Constitution
of the State of New Jersey
(1776). He served several one-year terms in New Jersey's General Assembly
. After a brief return to the ministry he was selected by the Trustees of Queen's College to be the institution's first President in 1785—a post in which he served until his death.
Hardenbergh married Dinah Van Bergh, widow of his mentor, John Frelinghuysen
on 18 March 1756 at Raritan, New Jersey
. She was the daughter of Louis Van Bergh. Her diary, dating from February 1746 to late 1747, is held by Special Collections and University Archives, at the Archibald S. Alexander Library of Rutgers University
.
Reverend Hardenbergh died on 30 October 1790 of tuberculosis
in New Brunswick, New Jersey
and was buried in the First Reformed Church Cemetery, New Brunswick
.
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of Queen's College (now Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
) from 1785 to his death in 1790.
Biography
He was born on February 22, 1736 in Rosendale, New YorkRosendale, New York
Rosendale is a town in the center of Ulster County, New York, United States. It once contained a village of the same name, which was dissolved through a vote. The population was 6,075 at the 2010 census.- History :...
. He became a preacher
Preacher
Preacher is a term for someone who preaches sermons or gives homilies. A preacher is distinct from a theologian by focusing on the communication rather than the development of doctrine. Others see preaching and theology as being intertwined...
in the Dutch Reformed faith
Dutch Reformed Church
The Dutch Reformed Church was a Reformed Christian denomination in the Netherlands. It existed from the 1570s to 2004, the year it merged with the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands to form the Protestant Church in the...
and was active in establishing a college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
that would be affiliated with the Dutch church. He lived in the Old Dutch Parsonage
Old Dutch Parsonage
The Old Dutch Parsonage is a historical house at 38 Washington Place in Somerville, New Jersey.-History:It was the home of the first ministers of the first Dutch Reformed Church and was built with the pooled funds from the congregations in Bridgewater, New Jersey, and Raritan, New Jersey, in 1751...
in Somerville, New Jersey
Somerville, New Jersey
Somerville is a borough in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 12,098. It is the county seat of Somerset County....
. In 1763, he traveled to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and appealed to King George III
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
on behalf of the proposal. On 10 November 1766, Royal Governor William Franklin
William Franklin
William Franklin was an American soldier and colonial administrator. He served as the last Colonial Governor of New Jersey. Franklin was a steadfast Loyalist throughout the American War of Independence, despite his father Benjamin Franklin's role as one of the most prominent Patriots during the...
chartered Queen's College. Hardenbergh served as an early Trustee
Trustee
Trustee is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, can refer to any person who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility for the benefit of another...
of the college.
He served as a delegate
Delegate
A delegate is a person who speaks or acts on behalf of an organization at a meeting or conference between organizations of the same level A delegate is a person who speaks or acts on behalf of an organization (e.g., a government, a charity, an NGO, or a trade union) at a meeting or conference...
to New Jersey's last Provincial Congress, which met in Burlington, New Jersey
Burlington, New Jersey
Burlington is a city in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States and a suburb of Philadelphia. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 9,920....
in 1776 to ratify the Declaration of Independence and to frame the first Constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
of the State of New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
(1776). He served several one-year terms in New Jersey's General Assembly
New Jersey General Assembly
The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.Since the election of 1967 , the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for a term of two years, each representing districts with average...
. After a brief return to the ministry he was selected by the Trustees of Queen's College to be the institution's first President in 1785—a post in which he served until his death.
Hardenbergh married Dinah Van Bergh, widow of his mentor, John Frelinghuysen
John Frelinghuysen
John Frederick Frelinghuysen was an American general and lawyer.-Biography:John Frelinghuysen was born in Millstone, New Jersey on March 21, 1776 to Frederick Theodore Frelinghuysen and Gertrude Schenck. He had four siblings: Catharine, Maria, Theodore, and Frederick...
on 18 March 1756 at Raritan, New Jersey
Raritan, New Jersey
Raritan is a Borough in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 6,881.-Geography:Raritan is located at ....
. She was the daughter of Louis Van Bergh. Her diary, dating from February 1746 to late 1747, is held by Special Collections and University Archives, at the Archibald S. Alexander Library of Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
.
Reverend Hardenbergh died on 30 October 1790 of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
in New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. It is the county seat and the home of Rutgers University. The city is located on the Northeast Corridor rail line, southwest of Manhattan, on the southern bank of the Raritan River. At the 2010 United States Census, the population of...
and was buried in the First Reformed Church Cemetery, New Brunswick
First Reformed Church Cemetery, New Brunswick
The First Reformed Church and Cemetery is in New Brunswick, New Jersey on Church Street and is adjacent to the First Presbyterian Churchyard, New Brunswick.-History:The congregation was formed in 1717. The church building was constructed in 1812...
.