John Franklin Crowell
Encyclopedia
John Franklin Crowell served as president of Trinity College, the predecessor of Duke University
, from 1887 to 1894. Crowell studied economics
at Yale University
, Columbia University
and the University of Berlin. Crowell is primarily known for overseeing Trinity's movement to Durham, North Carolina
and for reforming Trinity's curriculum, along with Joseph L. Armstrong
, to be more in line with the German
research university model. Toward that end Crowell persuaded the competing student literary societies to combine their libraries into a single college collection, where he personally catalogued the books and kept hours at a reference desk to encourage proper research methods. He also corrected the Latin in the college motto. Crowell increased the number of visiting lecturers at Trinity, and helped establish several academic student publications, one of which, the literary magazine The Archive is the second oldest such publication in the United States
. Crowell also served as the head coach
of the football
program from 1888–1889, compiling a 3-2 record. After resigning from Duke, Crowell became head of the Department of Economics and Sociology
at Smith College
. He received an honorary LL.D. degree from Trinity in 1917.
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
, from 1887 to 1894. Crowell studied economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, Columbia University
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...
and the University of Berlin. Crowell is primarily known for overseeing Trinity's movement to Durham, North Carolina
Durham, North Carolina
Durham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Durham County and also extends into Wake County. It is the fifth-largest city in the state, and the 85th-largest in the United States by population, with 228,330 residents as of the 2010 United States census...
and for reforming Trinity's curriculum, along with Joseph L. Armstrong
Joseph L. Armstrong
Joseph L. Armstrong was a professor at Duke University best known for reforming Duke's curriculum in the late nineteenth century, changing it to a German research university model with the help of John Franklin Crowell. Armstrong did his undergraduate work at Johns Hopkins University and graduate...
, to be more in line with the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
research university model. Toward that end Crowell persuaded the competing student literary societies to combine their libraries into a single college collection, where he personally catalogued the books and kept hours at a reference desk to encourage proper research methods. He also corrected the Latin in the college motto. Crowell increased the number of visiting lecturers at Trinity, and helped establish several academic student publications, one of which, the literary magazine The Archive is the second oldest such publication in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Crowell also served as the head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
of the football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
program from 1888–1889, compiling a 3-2 record. After resigning from Duke, Crowell became head of the Department of Economics and Sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
at Smith College
Smith College
Smith College is a private, independent women's liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is the largest member of the Seven Sisters...
. He received an honorary LL.D. degree from Trinity in 1917.