Background
Jesse was born on March 1, 1853, on the Ball Farm, the birthplace of Washington's mother, in Lancaster County, Virginia. His parents, William T. and Mary (Claybrook) Jesse, were descendants of early Virginia families.
educator professor university president
Jesse was born on March 1, 1853, on the Ball Farm, the birthplace of Washington's mother, in Lancaster County, Virginia. His parents, William T. and Mary (Claybrook) Jesse, were descendants of early Virginia families.
After preparatory study in an academy founded by his father in Lancaster County, and also in Hanover Academy, Jesse entered the University of Virginia, completing his work in this institution in 1875.
In 1876, Jesse taught French and mathematics in Hanover Academy, and from 1876 to 1878 he served as principal of an endowed high school, Washington Academy, at Princess Anne, Maryland. He then accepted the deanship of the academic department of the University of Louisiana, gave up his intention of studying law, and began a notable educational career. Largely as a result of his foresight and energy, the property given by Paul Tulane to promote higher education in New Orleans was used in 1884 to further a university for the state, the University of Louisiana becoming the Tulane University of Louisiana. He served as professor of Latin here from 1884 to 1891, when he became president of the University of Missouri. During the seventeen years of his presidency, he labored with courageous singleness of purpose to make the institution serve the practical needs of the state. He stood firmly against the interference of partisan politics and sectarian religion in university affairs. Faculty members were chosen with a view only to their worth in teaching and research. The college (now school) of education, established in his administration, was a pioneer in its field, and the school of journalism, advocated by President Jesse and established shortly after his administration, was the first in America. His interests extended to the secondary schools.
Strenuous work broke down his health. In accordance with the advice of his physicians, Jesse resigned as president in December 1907, at the age of fifty-four, and retired from his administrative duties six months later. He lived the remainder of his days close to the campus, occasionally contributed articles to periodicals, and was a source of inspiration to his associates. Jesse died on January 22, 1921.
Jesse was an educator, and evidence of his influence is found in his successful efforts to abolish the university preparatory school and to foster accredited secondary schools, and in his membership on the well-known Committee of Ten of the National Education Association, which made a large contribution to secondary school curricula. Jesse Hall on the David R. Francis Quadrangle is named in honor of him and was initiated as an Honorary member of the Acacia Fraternity.
An open-communion Baptist, he was deeply religious and a firm believer in Providence.
In political belief, Jesse was a Jeffersonian democrat.
Quotations: A key to his success may be found in his own words: "When the cause is thoroughly good, and commends itself to my sober judgment, I do not know how to give up, and no man ought to learn how. "
Various positions of honor and influence held by him were: chairmanship of the Section for Higher Education of the National Education Association (1898); presidency of the Missouri State Teachers Association (1899); presidency of the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools (1903, 1905); and presidency of the National Association of State Universities (1905-1906).
On July 13, 1882, Jesse married Addie Henry Polk of Princess Anne, Maryland; they were parents of three sons and three daughters.
