Math Department (History)

The Early Years:

Founders of early American colleges doubtless were aware of Plato's admonition denying admission to anyone ignorant of geometry. They were also cognizant of the more general role of mathematics in the traditional trivium (logic, grammar and rhetoric) and quadrivium (arithmetic, geometry, astronomy and music), which constituted the liberal arts curricula of the time. Indeed, John Taylor, who came to Schenectady from New Jersey prior to 1793 to assume charge of the Schenectady Academy (which later became Union College), was appointed Professor of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy (Physics) at the College in 1797. Although such joint appointments were common at colleges during the early days of the Republic, even by the standards of the day, Taylor was an unusually versatile man. One account of his life mentioned that Taylor was "eminently fitted to advance (the academy)" and went on to say that "after taking charge of Union, was professor of all that was taught in the infant college". Among other things, he had served with distinction during the Revolution, having risen from Captain to Colonel, and had taken part in the famous crossing of the Delaware with Washington.

Taylor was succeeded by Cornelius Van der Heuvel (1798-99); Benjamin Allen (1800-09); Ferdinand Hassler (1810-11), who later founded the U.S. Coastal Survey; Thomas Macauley (A.B. Union, 1804), who served as Tutor, 1805-06, Lecturer,1811-14, then Professor, 1814-22, and who, when he left the College, pursued a career in theology; Alonzo Potter (1822-26); and Benjamin Joslin, who graduated from Union in 1821, tutored at the College 1822-24, then graduated from the NYU College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1826. Throughout most of this period, the department consisted only of one professor, occasionally assisted by a tutor.

Doubtless the early curriculum in mathematics was influenced, at least indirectly, by Eliphalet Nott. The parallel curricula, which allowed students to "major" in classical or scientific courses, was introduced by Nott in 1828; that same year, differential and integral calculus were offered to seniors in the scientific curriculum. Engineering appeared in 1845 with the hiring, by Nott, of William Gillespie (about whom more later). Though he valued mathematics for its role in explaining science and engineering, Nott admired the subject as much for the mental discipline which its study demanded.

Math Department web pages
Created: 06 Mar 1997
Last modified: 09 Oct 1999 00:00:00
Comments to: math@union.edu