Leslie Waggener

Leslie Waggener
Portrait photograph of Waggener
1st President of the University of Texas at Austin
In office
1895–1896
Succeeded byGeorge T. Winston
President of Bethel College
In office
c. 1875–1877 – 1883
Preceded byNoah K. Davis
Succeeded byJames H. Fuqua (chairman of the faculty)
Personal details
Born(1841-09-11)September 11, 1841
Trenton, Kentucky, U.S.
DiedAugust 19, 1896(1896-08-19) (aged 54)
Manitou Springs, Colorado, U.S.
Spouse
Fannie Pendleton
​
(m. 1867)​
Children7
Alma mater
OccupationProfessor

Leslie Waggener Sr. (September 11, 1841 – August 19, 1896) was an American professor who served as the first president of the University of Texas at Austin.[1] He also served as president of Bethel College in Kentucky.[2]

Waggener was born in Trenton, Kentucky, and earned degrees from Bethel College in 1860 and Harvard University in 1861. During the American Civil War, he fought in the Confederate Army. He then became a professor of English at Bethel and became chairman of the faculty in 1873. Sometime between 1875 and 1877, he became the college's president, a position he held until 1883. He earned a master's degree from Bethel in 1867 and a doctorate from Georgetown College in 1875.[2][3][4]

He joined the University of Texas in 1883 as an English literature and history professor in its inaugural faculty. From 1884 to 1894, he was elected as chairman of the faculty. Waggener became the university's first president in 1895 upon the creation of the office, serving in an interim role for one year. He also was the president of the Texas State Teachers Association for one year.[3][4][5][6]

Waggener married Fannie Pendleton in 1867; the couple had seven children. He was a deacon in the Baptist Church. He died in Manitou Springs, Colorado, and was buried in Austin, Texas.[3][4] Waggener Hall at the University of Texas at Austin is named after him.[7]

References

  1. ^ "Leslie Waggener". Office of the President. The University of Texas at Austin. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Bethel College". TopSCHOLAR. Western Kentucky University. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Battle, W. J. (1952). "Waggener, Leslie". Handbook of Texas. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c "The University of Texas – Resolutions Adopted on the Death of Dr. Waggener". Houston Daily Post. October 25, 1896. p. 23 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "A History of the Establishment of the University of the State of Texas". The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association. 1 (4): 233–265. April 1898. JSTOR 27784866.
  6. ^ Battle, W. J. (April 1951). "A Concise History of the University of Texas, 1883-1950". The Southwestern Historical Quarterly. 54 (4): 391–411. JSTOR 30235665.
  7. ^ "Waggener Hall". College of Liberal Arts. The University of Texas at Austin. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
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