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John Lee Buchanan

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John Lee Buchanan
2nd President of Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College
In office
March 1, 1880 – January 17, 1882
Preceded byCharles Minor
Succeeded byThomas Nelson Conrad
6th President of University of Arkansas
In office
1894–1902
Preceded byEdward H. Murfee
Succeeded byHenry S. Hartzog
Personal details
Born(1831-06-19)June 19, 1831
Rich Valley, Virginia
DiedJanuary 19, 1922(1922-01-19) (aged 90)
Rich Valley, Virginia
Alma materEmory and Henry College

John Lee Buchanan (June 19, 1831 – January 19, 1922) was the second president of Virginia Tech (then Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College) and sixth president of the University of Arkansas.

Biography

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Buchanan was born to Patrick C. and Margaret Graham Buchanan in Rich Valley, Smyth County, Virginia.[1][2] He received an A.B. in 1856 and an M.A. in 1858[2] or 1860,[1] both from Emory and Henry College, where he was a member of the faculty until 1878 with the exception of the Civil War years when he served the Confederate States in the mining department.[3] In 1879 he became the Latin chair at Vanderbilt University and later served as president of Emory and Henry College before being appointed VAMC president in 1880.[2] The state legislature replaced the Board of Visitors, who in turn removed all university officials and faculty in June 1880.[4] Buchanan re-assumed the presidency of VAMC in August 1881, but was removed for the second and final time in January 1882.[4]

At this time, Buchanan began teaching at Martha Washington College in Abingdon, Virginia, later becoming president there.[2] In 1884 he served on a state committee that established the State Normal Female School in Farmville (now Longwood University).[5] From 1885 to 1889 he served as state superintendent of public instruction (hence was ex officio member of the VAMC Board of Visitors).[4] He began teaching at Randolph-Macon College in 1889, later becoming president.[5] He resigned the presidency of Randolph-Macon in 1894 to assume presidency of what was then Arkansas Industrial University[6] before he renamed it to University of Arkansas and where he remained until retiring in 1902.[1]

Buchanan died January 19, 1922, in Rich Valley, Virginia, at age 90.[2]

Honors

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Two residence halls at the University of Arkansas were named after Buchanan, including the Buchanan-Droke residence hall.[1]

Personal life

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Buchanan married Frances Elizabeth Wiley, with whom he had nine children.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "John L. Buchanan | The Office of the Chancellor | University of Arkansas". chancellor.uark.edu. Retrieved 2020-04-17.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Past Presidents". Virginia Tech. Retrieved 2020-04-17.
  3. ^ "Biographies of Washington County, VA". genealogytrails.com. Retrieved 2020-04-17.
  4. ^ a b c "Life & Times of Virginia Tech Presidents". Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 29 August 2011.
  5. ^ a b "President John Lee Buchanan". Virginia Tech Special Collections. 29 July 1998. Archived from the original on 22 March 2018. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
  6. ^ Thomas, Grace Powers (1898). Where to educate, 1898-1899. A guide to the best private schools, higher institutions of learning, etc., in the United States. Boston: Brown and Company. p. 7. Retrieved August 17, 2012.
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