Featured Article Summary #55

Ormond Beatty was an American educator and academic administrator who served as the seventh president of Centre College in Kentucky. He graduated from Centre in 1835 and went on to become a professor, teaching various subjects during his career. He was chosen as the interim president in 1868 and officially elected as president in 1870. Beatty was the first president of Centre who was not a Christian minister. Alongside his work at the college, he was also involved in religious affairs, serving as a ruling elder in local churches and as a trustee of a theological seminary. He remained as president until his resignation in 1888 and continued to teach for two more years before his death in 1890. Ormond Beatty was born in Kentucky in 1815 to a prominent family. He attended Franklin Academy and then Centre College before transferring to Ohio University. However, he ultimately decided to attend Centre College and graduated in 1835. During a year-long break before starting a teaching position, he studied at Yale University under chemist Benjamin Silliman. Ormond Beatty had a successful career at Centre College. He began as a professor of chemistry and natural philosophy, then switched to teaching mathematics. He eventually became the president of the college. He also made contributions outside of teaching, such as recording official weather observations for battles and serving as a visitor to West Point. Despite attempts to resign, he was elected to stay on as a professor and was highly respected for his teaching skills. He was also involved in the Presbyterian church and held various leadership positions. Ormond Beatty was married three times, with each marriage ending in the death of his wife. He had one child with his first wife, Sarah, and another child with his second wife, Mildred Ann Bell. Beatty was a slaveowner and died in his sleep at the age of 74, still a member of the Centre faculty. His funeral was attended by a large procession and he was buried in Danville's Bellevue Cemetery.