Joseph Willard
Joseph Willard (1738-1804) was a sailor, schoolmaster, college tutor, clergyman, and the first President of the newly-formed Harvard University (1781-1804).
Willard was born on December 29, 1738 in Biddeford, Maine to the Reverend Samuel Willard and Abigail (Wright) Willard. The youngest of three sons, Willard's father died when he was only two years old and he was reared in poverty during his childhood. In order to provide for himself and his family, Willard taught school as a young man and made several trips as a seaman, an occupation in which he developed a genius for mathematics and navigation. Recognizing Willard's academic potential, Samuel Moody, a local schoolmaster in York, Maine, helped prepare Willard for college and arranged a scholarship for him to attend Harvard College.
During his years as a student, Willard was characterized as the best mathematician, astronomer, and scholar in his class. As an undergraduate at Harvard College, Willard served as a waiter, taught school in Lancaster, Massachusetts, and was Scholar of the House, a student position responsible for the repair of any physical damage to student rooms. He was named the College Butler in 1765, managing the storeroom that held beer, other beverages, and the college utensils. Willard received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1765 and Master of Arts degree in 1768. After graduation, Willard was appointed a tutor in Greek (1766-1772) and a member of the Corporation (1768). Later in his career, he was honored with a Doctor of Divinity degree from Harvard University (1785) and a Doctor of Laws degree from Yale University (1791).
Willard resigned his tutorship in 1772 to serve as minister of the First Church of Beverly, Massachusetts. During his years in the ministry, Willard was open-minded in regards to religious belief and held that religion was a purely personal matter. A supporter of the patriot cause during the American Revolution, he later became a follower of the Federalist Party.
Willard's great interest was in science. He became a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1780 and served as its first recording secretary. In addition to a regular correspondence with scholars from Europe and America, Willard wrote many articles on astronomy and mathematics during his lifetime. Among his professional affiliations were memberships in the Royal Society of England, the Medical Society of London, the Royal Society of Göttingen, and the American Philosophical Society.
Willard's distinction as a learned scholar earned him his appointment as President of Harvard University. Although Harvard students considered him to be somewhat austere and autocratic in manner during his tenure as President, Willard earned the respect of both the faculty and students for his conscientious and honest attention to University affairs. Willard led the University as it matured. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts officially recognized Harvard College as a university on October 25, 1780.
During Willard's administration, University entrance requirements were raised, instruction was updated with the introduction of new courses and textbooks, daily sermons were discontinued, new additions to Harvard Hall were built, and the Harvard Medical School was opened. Moreover, the stability of the University was improved with the acquisition of substantial gifts from patrons and donors. Under Willard's leadership, Harvard University's reputation grew and the school entered the new century with an optimistic future.
Joseph Willard married Mary Sheafe of Portsmouth, New Hampshire on March 7, 1774. Of their thirteen children, Sidney (A.B. 1798) became a Harvard University professor and Joseph (A.B. 1816) won distinction as a prominent Massachusetts attorney.
Willard became ill in 1798 and spent the next few years in semi-retirement, traveling throughout the United States. He died on September 25, 1804 in New Bedford, Massachusetts. His wife, Mary, died in 1826.
[excerpt from the finding aid for the Joseph Willard Papers in the Harvard University Archives]
