author
Charles Franklin Thwing
1853–1937
A longtime university president, minister, and prolific writer, this late-19th- and early-20th-century educator helped shape Western Reserve University during a period of major growth. His books reflect a deep interest in higher education, public life, and the moral purpose of learning.
1 Audiobook
Letters from a Father to His Son Entering College
by Charles Franklin Thwing
About the author
Born in New Sharon, Maine, in 1853, Charles Franklin Thwing studied at Harvard University and then at Andover Theological Seminary. He began his career as a Congregational minister, serving churches in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Minneapolis before moving into university leadership.
Thwing is best known for his long presidency of Western Reserve University and Adelbert College, beginning in 1890 and continuing into the early 1920s. During those years, the university expanded significantly, and he became a prominent voice on the role of colleges and universities in American life.
He also wrote widely on education, religion, and culture, producing many books over the course of his career. Thwing died in 1937, and he is remembered as both a religious leader and an influential advocate for higher education.