Frederick Moore Binder

Background

Frederick Binder was born on November 18, 1920, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States. He was the son of Paul Reginald and Kathryn (Moore) Binder.

Education

Completing Binder's undergraduate work at Ursinus College in 1942, he joined the United States Navy, fighting in the Pacific theater during World War II and commanding a PT boat. He returned to his studies after the war, earning his doctorate in history from the University of Pennsylvania in 1955.

Binder also held honorary degrees from the following institutions: Hartwick College, Susquehanna University, Wagner College, Rider College, Ursinus College, Washington & Jefferson College, & the University of Humberside in England.

Career

While working toward his degrees, Frederick Binder began his career as an educator, initially at a high school in Somerville, New Jersey, and then at Temple University, where he was an assistant registrar from 1946 to 1947 and a history instructor from 1947 to 1955. In 1955, Binder joined the Thiel College faculty as an associate professor, becoming a full professor in 1957 and serving as academic vice president from 1957 to 1959. Binder served as acting president at Thiel in 1959 before accepting a post as president of Hartwick College, where he remained for the next ten years.

A brief stint as associate commissioner for higher education for the New York State Education Department was followed by leadership positions as president of Whittier College from 1970 to 1975, and then of Juniata College from 1975 to 1986. When Binder accepted the position at Juniata, the college was struggling with enrollment and finances. Many have since credited him with increasing enrollment, balancing the budget, and adding many improvements to the College, including new buildings - the school's natatorium is named in his honor - and the creation of programs in computer science and early childhood education. In the 1980s, Binder also served on the Pennsylvania State Board of Education and the Council on Higher Education.

Interested in both education and history, he was the author of several books, including "The Color Problem in Early National America As Viewed by John Adams, Jefferson, and Jackson" (1968), "Education in the History of Western Civilization: Selected Readings" (1970), "Coal Age Empire: Pennsylvania Coal and Its Utilization to 1860" (1974), "The Age of the Common School: 1830-1865" (1974), "The Way We Lived: Essays and Documents in American Social History" (1988), which he wrote with David M. Reimers, "James Buchanan and the American Empire" (1994), and "All the Nations Under Heaven: An Ethnic and Racial History of New York City" (1995), also co-written with Reimers; Binder was also a contributing editor to "A Bibliography of American Educational History: An Annotated and Classified Guide" (1975). Interestingly, Binder penned a spy thriller titled "The Serbian Assignment" (1972), which he published under the name Andrew Moore.

Achievements

• Frederick Moore Binder has been listed as a noteworthy College president by Marquis Who's Who. During his tenure at Whittier, Binder was credited with leading the acquisition of the former Beverly Law School in Los Angeles and turning it into the Whittier College School of Law in Hancock Park. He also supervised the completion of the Lillian A. Slade Aquatic Center and the Richard P. Ettinger Jr. Faculty Center and the development of the Stauffer Art Center (now Deihl Hall) on the Whittier campus.

Works

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• book

  • James Buchanan and the American Empire

    (James Buchanan and the American Empire deals with the inf...)

    1994
  • The Color Problem in Early National America As Viewed by John Adams, Jefferson and Jackson 1968
  • Coal Age Empire Pennsylvania Coal and Its Utilization to 1860 1974
  • The Age of the Common School: 1830-1865 1974
  • The Way We Lived: Essays and Documents in American Social History, Volume I: 1492-1877 1988

Religion

Frederick was an Episcopalian by faith.

Membership

Binder was a member of the Cosmos Club in Washington, DC; the Hummelstown VFW; a lifelong member and office holder of the Alpha Chi Rho fraternity; and a former member of numerous community service clubs and professional organizations.

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  Alpha Chi Rho , United States

Connections

Frederick married Grace Irene Brandt on May 27, 1943. The couple had two children: Janet Binder Houts, Roberta Lynn.

Father:

Paul Reginald Binder

Mother:

Kathryn (Moore) Binder

Wife:

Grace Irene (Brandt) Binder

Daughter:

Roberta Lynn Binder

Daughter:

Janet Binder Houts Binder