Dartmouth College. Office of the President. Nathan Lord (1828-1863)

Dates

Usage: 1828 - 1863

Biography

Nathan Lord, Congregational minister, and college president was born November 28, 1792, in Berwick Maine. He graduated from Bowdoin College in 1809, went on to attend Andover Theological Seminary, and received a Doctor of Divinity from Bowdoin in 1828. That same year, he also became the 6th president of Dartmouth College. Lord was the longest serving president after John Wheelock remaining in office for a total of 35 years. Lord was an independent thinker and a strict disciplinarian.

Dartmouth, which had been suffering financially ever since the attempted takeover of the institution by the State of New Hampshire, saw considerable growth during Lord's tenure. Lord established the first alumni association and raised $50,000 to build Thornton and Wentworth Halls. He also significantly increased student enrollment.

The issue of slavery in the United States became paramount during Lord's tenure. While his initial inclination was toward the abolition of slavery, he served as a vice president of the New Hampshire Auxiliary Colonization Society, and later he briefly held the position of Vice President, representing New Hampshire, in the American Anti-Slavery Society. But, by the late 1840s he claimed no abolitionist associations. In 1854, Lord anonymously published the first of three pro-slavery pamphlets, which argued that slavery was condoned by God through the scripture. In 1862 he published a third piece "A True Picture of Abolition" in which he accused abolitionists of being responsible for the Civil War. This landed him in hot water with a group of anti-slavery ministers in New Hampshire who petitioned the Trustees to consider his removal. The Trustees declined to take this action, but instead issued a statement distancing College from Lord and his views. In response, Lord tendered his resignation, which was eventually accepted by the Board.

Found in 124 Collections and/or Records:

Nathan Lord letter

Item 1

Identifier: Mss 854272

Mss 854272

Date(s): 1854-04-22

Scope and Contents

Letter from Nathan Lord at Dartmouth College to Joseph How Tyler. On behalf of the faculty, writer requests that Tyler deliver a Master's oration a the next commencement.

Nathan Lord letter

Item 1

Identifier: Mss 854451

Mss 854451

Date(s): 1854-08-01

Scope and Contents

Letter from Nathan Lord at Dartmouth College to Nathaniel Wright, "N.Wright Jr.'s Merit Roll"

Nathan Lord letter

Item 1

Identifier: Mss 855162

Mss 855162

Date(s): 1855-02-12

Scope and Contents

Four-page letter from Nathan Lord in Hanover, New Hampshire to D. Tyler with a discourse on holy love and mysteries of theology as well as about his fears for the Amnerican Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions.

Nathan Lord letter

Item 1

Identifier: Mss 856530

Mss 856530

Date(s): 1856-09-30

Scope and Contents

Four-page letter from Nathan Lord at Dartmouth College to John Lord, telling him about lecturers at Dartmouth and that the Burke house has burned.

Nathan Lord letter

Item 1

Identifier: Mss 857411

Mss 857411

Date(s): 1857-07-11

Scope and Contents

Letter from Nathan Lord in Hanover, New Hampshire to Richard Fletcher, telling him that he hopes he will be able to attend the upcoming Trustees meeting.

Nathan Lord letter

Item 1

Identifier: Mss 857431

Mss 857431

Date(s): 1857-07-31

Scope and Contents

Two-page letter from Nathan Lord at Dartmouth College to Henry L. Hitchcock, recommending Elliot Tucker Merrick as of excellent character and scholarship and competent for addressee's service.

Nathan Lord letter

Item 1

Identifier: Mss 857640

Mss 857640

Date(s): 1857-11

Scope and Contents

Three-page letter from Nathan Lord in Hanover, New Hampshire to Francis Brown Lord with advice to his son on general conduct.(Photocopy)

Nathan Lord letter

Item 1

Identifier: Mss 858417

Mss 858417

Date(s): 1858-07-17

Scope and Contents

Two-page letter from Nathan Lord at Dartmouth College to John Lord, telling him that he cannot visit addressee, invites addressee to Commencement.

Nathan Lord letter

Item 1

Identifier: Mss 858530

Mss 858530

Date(s): 1858-09-30

Scope and Contents

Letter of recommendation for Albert Palmer by Nathan Lord.

Nathan Lord letter

Item 1

Identifier: Mss 859427.1

Mss 859427.1

Date(s): 1859-07-27

Scope and Contents

Letter from Nathan Lord at Dartmouth College to Henry Fairbanks, telling him that the trustees have elected Fairbanks professor of natural philosophy.

Nathan Lord letter

Item 1

Identifier: Mss 860427

Mss 860427

Date(s): 1860

Scope and Contents

Letter from Nathan Lord to William Thayer, telling him that he confers degree of Master of Arts on addressee.

Nathan Lord letter

Item 1

Identifier: Mss 860427.1

Mss 860427.1

Date(s): 1860-07-27

Scope and Contents

Letter from Nathan Lord in Hanover, New Hampshire to Franklin Pierce in Concord, New Hampshire, in which he informs Mr. Pierce of an honorary degree bestowed upon him by Dartmouth College.

Nathan Lord letter

Item 1

Identifier: Mss 836612

Mss 836612

Date(s): 1836-11-12

Abstract

In English.

Nathan Lord letter

Item 1

Identifier: Mss 837118

Mss 837118

Date(s): 1837-01-18

Abstract

In English.

Nathan Lord letter

Item 1

Identifier: Mss 837157

Mss 837157

Date(s): 1837-02-07

Abstract

In English.

Nathan Lord letter

Item 1

Identifier: Mss 837159

Mss 837159

Date(s): 1837-02-09

Abstract

In English.

Nathan Lord letter

Item 1

Identifier: Mss 837357

Mss 837357

Date(s): 1837-06-07

Abstract

In English.

Nathan Lord letter

Item 1

Identifier: Mss 837410

Mss 837410

Date(s): 1837-07-10

Abstract

In English.

Nathan Lord letter

Item 1

Identifier: Mss 838322

Mss 838322

Date(s): 1838-05-22

Abstract

In English.

Nathan Lord letter

Item 1

Identifier: Mss 861427.1

Mss 861427.1

Date(s): 1861-07-27

Scope and Contents

Letter from Nathan Lord in Hanover, New Hampshire to John P. Hale, informing him that he has been awarded the degree of Doctor of Laws (honorary) by Dartmouth College.