Timothy Alden (August 28, 1771 – July 5, 1839) was an educator and Christian clergyman. He founded Allegheny College in 1817.
Early life
Timothy Alden was born in Yarmouth, Massachusetts on August 28, 1771.[1] After receiving a theology degree from Harvard College in 1794, he was appointed as a pastor in 1799.[2] As an educator, he held posts in Boston, Cincinnati, and Newark.[3][4] He founded Allegheny College in 1817 and held the post of president there for 14 years.[3]
The first class, consisting of four male students, began their studies on July 4, 1816, without any formal academic buildings. Within six years, Alden accumulated sufficient funds to begin building a campus. The first building erected, the library, was designed by Alden himself, and is a notable example of early American architecture. Bentley Hall is named in honor of William Bentley, who donated his private library to the college, a collection of considerable value and significance. In 1824, Thomas Jefferson wrote to Alden, expressing the hope that his University of Virginia could someday possess the richness of Allegheny's library.[6]
Alden served as president of the college until 1831, when financial and enrollment difficulties forced his resignation.[2]
He wrote Missions among the Senecas, and prepared a catalogue of the New York historical society's library.[1]
Courtship of Myles Standish
Set against the backdrop of a fierce Indian war, the tale focuses on a love triangle among three Pilgrims: Myles Standish, Priscilla Mullens, and John Alden. Longfellow claimed the story was true, but the historical evidence is inconclusive. Nevertheless, the ballad was very popular in nineteenth-century America, immortalizing the Mayflower Pilgrims.
The families of the alleged lovers remained close for several generations, and intermarried, moving together to Duxbury, Massachusetts, in the late 1620s.[8] Descendants still retell the love triangle of their ancestors; the story is nearly 400 years old now.[9]