Harper, William Rainey (1856-1906), an American educator, became the first president of the University of Chicago in 1891. His work as president contributed to the school’s rapid growth. He selected great professors and backed them with a strong belief in academic freedom. He introduced the quarter system, the university press, and an extension division.
Harper was born on July 29, 1856, at New Concord, Ohio. He earned a Ph.D. degree at Yale University when he was 18 years old. Later, he taught Semitic languages at Yale. He died on Jan. 10, 1906.
