The Biographical Dictionary of America/Atherton, George W.

ATHERTON, George W., educator, was born in Boxford, Essex county, Mass., June 20, 1837, and descended from Humphrey Atherton of the Massachusetts colony. He was educated at Phillips Exeter academy, and in 1860 entered Yale college, from which he was graduated in 1863. He served in the civil war, being a 1st lieutenant in the 10th Connecticut volunteers, which formed a part of the Burnside expedition against North Carolina. After the battle of Newbern he was promoted to a captaincy, and took part in the movement from Hilton Head, S. C., against Charleston. He was repeatedly detailed as judge-advocate of regimental and brigade court-martial. In 1863 the impairment of his health led him to resign. He was professor in the Boys' Academy, Albany, 1864-"67; at St. John's College, Annapolis, Md., 1867-'68; at the Illinois state university in 1868, and at Rutgers college, where he held the chair of history, political economy and constitutional law. 1868-82. He was a member of the board of visitors to the U.S. naval academy in 1873 and 1891; of the commission to investigate charges of fraud at the Red Cloud Indian agency in 1875, and chairman of a commission to prepare a revision of the system of taxation in New Jersey in 1878. He was admitted to the bar in 1878, and practised as a consulting attorney; became president of the Pennsylvania state college in 1882 and received the degree LL.D. from Franklin and Marshall college in 1883. He was the first president of the American Association of Agricultural Colleges and Experiment Stations, and was chairman of a commission in 1887 to report the practicability of introducing manual training into the public schools of Pennsylvania.