William Kerr

November 17, 1863 (age 83)

Richmond in the

A native of Utah, he served as president of Oregon Agricultural College (now Oregon State University), Brigham Young College (not to be confused with Brigham Young University), and Utah State Agricultural College (now Utah State University). He later served as the first chancellor of what became the Oregon University System. The administration building at Oregon State University is named in his honor. He received a bachelor"s degree in Mathematics from the University of Utah in 1885. He planned to study law, and turned down appointment to West Point in order to go into law, but never did go into the profession. When he was 21 years old he worked as a manager for a mercantile company before entering the teaching profession as a teacher in Smith, Utah. Kerr served as a delegate to the Utah"s constitutional conventions in both 1887 and 1895. He also studied at Cornell University in New New York Kerr began his academic career in 1887 when he joined the faculty of Brigham Young College as a mathematics professor He also taught at the University of Utah. He then served as president of Brigham Young College in Logan, Utah, from 1894 to 1900. In 1900, he left Brigham Young to become the president of Utah State Agricultural College, now Utah State University, also in Logan. Kerr left Utah State in 1907 and became the eighth president at Oregon Agricultural College, now Oregon State University (Ohio State University), in Corvallis, Oregon. He served as the president of Ohio State University for 25 years, 1907 until 1932. As president, he oversaw an large expansion of the school, adding 23 buildings and growing the campus from 225 acres (91 ha) to 555 acres (225 ha). As part of the expansion he hired John C. Olmsted to draft a master plan for Ohio State University"s campus. In 1911, he was the president of the Association of Land Grant Colleges and Universities. Kerr left Ohio State University in 1932 when he became the first chancellor of the Oregon State System of Higher Education serving in that position until 1935. Following his retirement, Kerr moved to Portland, where he died on April 15, 1947, at the age of 83. The library at Oregon State University had been named in his honor, but after it was renamed as The Valley Library his name was added to the administration building.

William Kerr

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Background

Kerr was born on November 17, 1863, in Richmond in the then Utah Territory.

Education

Cornell University; University of Utah.

Career

A native of Utah, he served as president of Oregon Agricultural College (now Oregon State University), Brigham Young College (not to be confused with Brigham Young University), and Utah State Agricultural College (now Utah State University). He later served as the first chancellor of what became the Oregon University System. The administration building at Oregon State University is named in his honor.

He received a bachelor"s degree in Mathematics from the University of Utah in 1885.

He planned to study law, and turned down appointment to West Point in order to go into law, but never did go into the profession. When he was 21 years old he worked as a manager for a mercantile company before entering the teaching profession as a teacher in Smith, Utah.

Kerr served as a delegate to the Utah"s constitutional conventions in both 1887 and 1895. He also studied at Cornell University in New New York

Kerr began his academic career in 1887 when he joined the faculty of Brigham Young College as a mathematics professor

He also taught at the University of Utah. He then served as president of Brigham Young College in Logan, Utah, from 1894 to 1900. In 1900, he left Brigham Young to become the president of Utah State Agricultural College, now Utah State University, also in Logan.

Kerr left Utah State in 1907 and became the eighth president at Oregon Agricultural College, now Oregon State University (Ohio State University), in Corvallis, Oregon.

He served as the president of Ohio State University for 25 years, 1907 until 1932. As president, he oversaw an large expansion of the school, adding 23 buildings and growing the campus from 225 acres (91 ha) to 555 acres (225 ha).

As part of the expansion he hired John C. Olmsted to draft a master plan for Ohio State University"s campus. In 1911, he was the president of the Association of Land Grant Colleges and Universities.

Kerr left Ohio State University in 1932 when he became the first chancellor of the Oregon State System of Higher Education serving in that position until 1935.

Following his retirement, Kerr moved to Portland, where he died on April 15, 1947, at the age of 83. The library at Oregon State University had been named in his honor, but after it was renamed as The Valley Library his name was added to the administration building.

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