author
Charles Franklin Thwing
1853–1937
A longtime university president, minister, and prolific writer, he helped shape debates about higher education in the United States around the turn of the 20th century. His work blends practical academic experience with a broad interest in religion, culture, and public life.
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 was an American clergyman, educator, and author. He studied at Harvard College and Andover Theological Seminary, served Congregational churches in Massachusetts and Minnesota, and later became a major figure in university leadership.
Thwing is best remembered for his long presidency at Western Reserve University, where he led the institution through decades of growth and change. Alongside his academic work, he wrote extensively on education, religion, literature, and social questions, producing a large body of books and essays.
He died in 1937, but his name still appears often in the history of American higher education. For listeners exploring older nonfiction, his writing offers a window into how colleges, public service, and moral education were understood in his era.