Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)/White, Andrew Dickson

WHITE, ANDREW DICKSON, an American diplomatist; born in Homer, N. Y., Nov. 7, 1832. He was graduated at Yale in 1853; traveled in Europe; studied at Sorbonne and College de France, 1853-1854; attaché to legation of the United States, St. Petersburg, 1854-1855; studied in the University of Berlin, 1855-1856; Professor of History and English Literature University of Michigan, 1857-1863; returned to Syracuse and elected State Senator, in which capacity (1863-1867) he introduced reports and bills codifying the schools laws, creating a new system of normal schools, establishing a new health board in the city of New York, and incorporating Cornell University at Ithaca; chosen first president of that university, 1866; visited Europe to purchase books and apparatus therefor, and make special study of European educational methods; has in addition to the presidency filled the chair of modern history; was appointed by President Grant commissioner to Santo Domingo to study and report on question of annexation, 1871; by the State of New York commissioner to Paris Exposition, 1878; by President Hayes minister to Berlin, 1879-1881; by President Harrison minister to St. Petersburg, and continued under President Cleveland, 1892-1894; appointed by President Cleveland member of the Venezuelan Commission, 1895-1896; ambassador to Berlin under President McKinley, 1897; president of the American delegation to the International Peace Congress at The Hague in 1899. Mr. White was a regent of the Smithsonian Institution and an officer of the Legion of Honor of France. His principal works are: “The Warfare of Science” (1876); “History of the Warfare of Science with Theology in Christendom” (1897); “European Schools of History”; “The New Germany”; “The Work of Benjamin Hale” (1911). He died in 1918.

ANDREW DICKSON WHITE