Philip Milledoler
Encyclopedia
Philip Milledoler was a minister and the fifth President
of Rutgers College
(now Rutgers University
) serving from 1825 until 1840.
in 1751.
He graduated from Columbia College
with a Bachelor of Arts
(A.B.) in 1793 and was ordained
into the ministry by the German Reformed Synod
in Reading, Pennsylvania
on May 17, 1794. He served churches in both the Presbyterian
and Dutch Reformed
faiths.
He married Susannah Benson and had a daughter, Susan Ann Milledoler (c1790-1867), who married Martin Wiltsie Brett (1788–1879) in 1816. Susan was the great-grandmother of Philip Milledoler Brett
.
Milledoler was active in forming the Princeton Theological Seminary
, the American Bible Society
, and the United Foreign Missionary Society. In 1825, he accepted the presidency of Queen's College after the death of John Henry Livingston
, and convinced one of his parishioners in New York City
, Colonel Henry Rutgers
, a wealthy bachelor, to donate $5,000 to the college, creating a drive to reopen the closed institution. The Board of Trustees named the institution after Colonel Rutgers, and Rutgers College was reopened on 14 November 1825.
Reverend Milledoler was responsible for reorganizing the curriculum of Rutgers College into one that instructed in the liberal arts, offering courses in Greek
and Latin
, mathematics
, philosophy
, literature
, political economy
, and later lectures in geology
, mineralogy
and chemistry
. During this time, enrollment at Rutgers College increased, and the college became more independent of the Dutch Reformed Church
. This increased dissension between the Church and the college and prompted Reverend Milledoler to resign in 1839, remaining on the post until the Trustees selected a replacement in 1840.
He died on his birthday, 22 September 1852, while living at the home of his son-in-law, James William Beekman
(1815–1877) on Staten Island
.
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 Rutgers College
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...
(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...
) serving from 1825 until 1840.
Biography
Philip Milledoler was born in 1775 in Rhinebeck, New York. His father had emigrated to the United States from SwitzerlandSwitzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
in 1751.
He graduated from Columbia College
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
(A.B.) in 1793 and was ordained
Ordination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
into the ministry by the German Reformed Synod
Evangelical and Reformed Church
The Evangelical and Reformed Church was a Protestant Christian denomination in the United States. It was formed in 1934 by the merger of the Reformed Church in the United States with the Evangelical Synod of North America . After the 1934 merger, a minority within the RCUS seceded in order to...
in Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading is a city in southeastern Pennsylvania, USA, and seat of Berks County. Reading is the principal city of the Greater Reading Area and had a population of 88,082 as of the 2010 census, making it the fifth most populated city in the state after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown and Erie,...
on May 17, 1794. He served churches in both the Presbyterian
Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism refers to a number of Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, which are organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures,...
and Dutch Reformed
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...
faiths.
He married Susannah Benson and had a daughter, Susan Ann Milledoler (c1790-1867), who married Martin Wiltsie Brett (1788–1879) in 1816. Susan was the great-grandmother of Philip Milledoler Brett
Philip Milledoler Brett
Philip Milledoler Brett, Sr. was the thirteenth President of Rutgers University serving in an acting capacity from 1930 to 1931.-Biography:...
.
Milledoler was active in forming the Princeton Theological Seminary
Princeton Theological Seminary
Princeton Theological Seminary is a theological seminary of the Presbyterian Church located in the Borough of Princeton, New Jersey in the United States...
, the American Bible Society
American Bible Society
The American Bible Society is an interconfessional, non-denominational, nonprofit organization, founded in 1816 in New York City, which publishes, distributes and translates the Bible and provides study aids and other tools to help people engage with the Bible.It is probably best known for its...
, and the United Foreign Missionary Society. In 1825, he accepted the presidency of Queen's College after the death of John Henry Livingston
John Henry Livingston
The Reverend John Henry Livingston was the fourth President of Queen's College serving from 1810 until his death in 1825.-Biography:...
, and convinced one of his parishioners in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Colonel Henry Rutgers
Henry Rutgers
Henry Rutgers was a United States Revolutionary War hero and philanthropist from New York City, New York.-Biography:...
, a wealthy bachelor, to donate $5,000 to the college, creating a drive to reopen the closed institution. The Board of Trustees named the institution after Colonel Rutgers, and Rutgers College was reopened on 14 November 1825.
Reverend Milledoler was responsible for reorganizing the curriculum of Rutgers College into one that instructed in the liberal arts, offering courses in Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
and Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
, literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
, political economy
Political economy
Political economy originally was the term for studying production, buying, and selling, and their relations with law, custom, and government, as well as with the distribution of national income and wealth, including through the budget process. Political economy originated in moral philosophy...
, and later lectures in geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
, mineralogy
Mineralogy
Mineralogy is the study of chemistry, crystal structure, and physical properties of minerals. Specific studies within mineralogy include the processes of mineral origin and formation, classification of minerals, their geographical distribution, as well as their utilization.-History:Early writing...
and chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
. During this time, enrollment at Rutgers College increased, and the college became more independent of the Dutch Reformed Church
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...
. This increased dissension between the Church and the college and prompted Reverend Milledoler to resign in 1839, remaining on the post until the Trustees selected a replacement in 1840.
He died on his birthday, 22 September 1852, while living at the home of his son-in-law, James William Beekman
James William Beekman
James William Beekman was vice president of the New York Hospital.-Biography:He was born in New York City on November 22, 1815...
(1815–1877) on Staten Island
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
.
See also
- Philip Milledoler BrettPhilip Milledoler BrettPhilip Milledoler Brett, Sr. was the thirteenth President of Rutgers University serving in an acting capacity from 1930 to 1931.-Biography:...