James Forsyth
Encyclopedia
James Forsyth was an attorney, businessman, and the seventh president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
. He was born on September 8, 1817 in Peru, New York
. He graduated from the University of Vermont
in 1839 and was admitted to the bar in 1842. The following year, he moved to Troy, New York
where he practiced law, and was a director and counsel of several local banks and companies. He was a founder and trustee of the Union Trust Company of New York, and President of the Troy & West Troy Bridge Company. He also served as a judge and a member of the Board of Enrollment in Rensselaer County.
He was a longtime trustee of the Troy Female Seminary, which became the Emma Willard School
, and Rensselaer. He was president of Rensselaer from 1868 to 1886. He died on August 10, 1886.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Stephen Van Rensselaer established the Rensselaer School on November 5, 1824 with a letter to the Rev. Dr. Samuel Blatchford, in which van Rensselaer asked Blatchford to serve as the first president. Within the letter he set down several orders of business. He appointed Amos Eaton as the school's...
. He was born on September 8, 1817 in Peru, New York
Peru, New York
Peru is a town in Clinton County in the U.S. state of New York. The population was 6,998 at the 2010 census. The town was named Peru because its mountainous nature suggested that country....
. He graduated from the University of Vermont
University of Vermont
The University of Vermont comprises seven undergraduate schools, an honors college, a graduate college, and a college of medicine. The Honors College does not offer its own degrees; students in the Honors College concurrently enroll in one of the university's seven undergraduate colleges or...
in 1839 and was admitted to the bar in 1842. The following year, he moved to Troy, New York
Troy, New York
Troy is a city in the US State of New York and the seat of Rensselaer County. Troy is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany and Schenectady, forming a region popularly called the Capital...
where he practiced law, and was a director and counsel of several local banks and companies. He was a founder and trustee of the Union Trust Company of New York, and President of the Troy & West Troy Bridge Company. He also served as a judge and a member of the Board of Enrollment in Rensselaer County.
He was a longtime trustee of the Troy Female Seminary, which became the Emma Willard School
Emma Willard School
The Emma Willard School, originally called Troy Female Seminary and often referred to simply as "Emma," is an independent university-preparatory day and boarding school for young women, located in Troy, New York on Mount Ida, offering grades 9-12 and postgraduate coursework...
, and Rensselaer. He was president of Rensselaer from 1868 to 1886. He died on August 10, 1886.