Dwight B. Waldo
Encyclopedia
Dr. Dwight Bryant Waldo (June 13, 1864 – October 29, 1939) was the first President of Western Michigan University
(WMU) in Kalamazoo, Michigan
. Waldo was born in Arcade, N.Y. but spent his childhood in Plainwell, Michigan
. Waldo was elected principal of WMU on April 1, 1904. He served as president from 1904 through 1936. When Western Michigan first opened, it was known as the Western State Normal School and later as the Western State Teachers College. One of Waldo's first moves, creating a rural school department, cemented WMU as a teaching college. It was the first such department in the nation and prepared teachers to effectively educate students in rural parts of America. Waldo also firmly believed in diversity on campus, and during his tenure many females and minorities were given the opportunity to attend the college.
In the beginning Western Michigan served as a two-year normal school
, but under Waldo's guidance it was soon structured into a four-year teachers college. He also served as one of the first instructors at WMU. Waldo is credited with keeping WMU open when many government officials wanted to shut it down during the Great Depression
. The school's football stadium, Waldo Stadium
, and library, Waldo Library, are named in his honor. In 1912, Kalamazoo College
awarded Waldo a Doctor of Laws as an honorary degree for his accomplishments at WMU. In 1932 Michigan State University awarded Waldo an honorary Doctor of Letters
.
Waldo was born in Arcade, New York
, son of Simeon Smith Waldo and Martha Ann Bryant Waldo, during the final year of the Civil War
. He and his family moved to Plainwell, Michigan in about 1874. Waldo graduated from Plainwell High School and Albion College. He married first Minnie Strong (children: Herbert (born 1894) and Ruth (born 1895)) and after Minnie's death, he married Eliza Lilian Trudgeon on September 14, 1904 (children: Elizabeth (born 1908), Barbara (born 1911) and Dorothy (born 1919)).
Waldo was noted for his interest and research into the life of Abraham Lincoln
. His personal collection of Lincoln memorabilia is one of many displays at Waldo Library. A WMU librarian and Dwight Waldo Historian stated, "Waldo's vision, 'tough love' leadership style and unique combination of pragmatism
and idealism
are legendary around campus and Kalamazoo". Waldo had a pet parrot named "Jimmy Boy." Despite claims that he walked around campus with the parrot, there is no evidence of this.
Prior to assuming his leadership role at Western Michigan, Waldo was the first principal at Northern State Normal School (now Northern Michigan University
) where he served from 1899 to 1904, and additionally served as the Department Chair of the History Department. Interestingly, 100 years after Waldo came to Western Michigan another Northern Michigan president, Judith Bailey, would follow in his footsteps to help Western Michigan kick off its "Centennial Campaign" after arriving in 2003. Waldo was also a history and economics teacher at Albion College
before becoming principal at Northern State.
Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University is a public university located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1903 by Dwight B. Waldo, and as of the Fall 2010 semester, its enrollment is 25,045....
(WMU) in Kalamazoo, Michigan
Kalamazoo, Michigan
The area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small mound in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to...
. Waldo was born in Arcade, N.Y. but spent his childhood in Plainwell, Michigan
Plainwell, Michigan
Plainwell is a city in Allegan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,933 at the 2000 census.Plainwell is located on M-89 just east of its junction with U.S. 131. The city of Otsego is about three miles to the west. Kalamazoo is about ten miles to the south and Grand Rapids...
. Waldo was elected principal of WMU on April 1, 1904. He served as president from 1904 through 1936. When Western Michigan first opened, it was known as the Western State Normal School and later as the Western State Teachers College. One of Waldo's first moves, creating a rural school department, cemented WMU as a teaching college. It was the first such department in the nation and prepared teachers to effectively educate students in rural parts of America. Waldo also firmly believed in diversity on campus, and during his tenure many females and minorities were given the opportunity to attend the college.
In the beginning Western Michigan served as a two-year normal school
Normal school
A normal school is a school created to train high school graduates to be teachers. Its purpose is to establish teaching standards or norms, hence its name...
, but under Waldo's guidance it was soon structured into a four-year teachers college. He also served as one of the first instructors at WMU. Waldo is credited with keeping WMU open when many government officials wanted to shut it down during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. The school's football stadium, Waldo Stadium
Waldo Stadium
Waldo Stadium is a stadium in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It is primarily used for football, and is the home field of the Western Michigan University Broncos. Opened in 1939, it now has a capacity of 30,200 spectators.-History:...
, and library, Waldo Library, are named in his honor. In 1912, Kalamazoo College
Kalamazoo College
Kalamazoo College, also known as K College or simply K, is a private liberal arts college in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1833, the college is among the 100 oldest in the country. Today, it produces more Peace Corps volunteers per capita than any other U.S...
awarded Waldo a Doctor of Laws as an honorary degree for his accomplishments at WMU. In 1932 Michigan State University awarded Waldo an honorary Doctor of Letters
Doctor of Letters
Doctor of Letters is a university academic degree, often a higher doctorate which is frequently awarded as an honorary degree in recognition of outstanding scholarship or other merits.-Commonwealth:...
.
Waldo was born in Arcade, New York
Arcade, New York
Arcade, New York is the name of two locations in Wyoming County, New York.*Arcade , New York, the Village of Arcade*Arcade , New York, the Town of Arcade...
, son of Simeon Smith Waldo and Martha Ann Bryant Waldo, during the final year of the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. He and his family moved to Plainwell, Michigan in about 1874. Waldo graduated from Plainwell High School and Albion College. He married first Minnie Strong (children: Herbert (born 1894) and Ruth (born 1895)) and after Minnie's death, he married Eliza Lilian Trudgeon on September 14, 1904 (children: Elizabeth (born 1908), Barbara (born 1911) and Dorothy (born 1919)).
Waldo was noted for his interest and research into the life of Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
. His personal collection of Lincoln memorabilia is one of many displays at Waldo Library. A WMU librarian and Dwight Waldo Historian stated, "Waldo's vision, 'tough love' leadership style and unique combination of pragmatism
Pragmatism
Pragmatism is a philosophical tradition centered on the linking of practice and theory. It describes a process where theory is extracted from practice, and applied back to practice to form what is called intelligent practice...
and idealism
Idealism
In philosophy, idealism is the family of views which assert that reality, or reality as we can know it, is fundamentally mental, mentally constructed, or otherwise immaterial. Epistemologically, idealism manifests as a skepticism about the possibility of knowing any mind-independent thing...
are legendary around campus and Kalamazoo". Waldo had a pet parrot named "Jimmy Boy." Despite claims that he walked around campus with the parrot, there is no evidence of this.
Prior to assuming his leadership role at Western Michigan, Waldo was the first principal at Northern State Normal School (now Northern Michigan University
Northern Michigan University
Northern Michigan University is a four-year college public university established in 1899 located in Marquette, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. With a population of nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students, Northern Michigan University is the Upper Peninsula's largest...
) where he served from 1899 to 1904, and additionally served as the Department Chair of the History Department. Interestingly, 100 years after Waldo came to Western Michigan another Northern Michigan president, Judith Bailey, would follow in his footsteps to help Western Michigan kick off its "Centennial Campaign" after arriving in 2003. Waldo was also a history and economics teacher at Albion College
Albion College
Albion College is a private liberal arts college located in Albion, Michigan. Related to the United Methodist Church, it was founded in 1835 and was the first private college in Michigan to have a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. It has a student population of about 1500.The school's sports teams are...
before becoming principal at Northern State.