Hosea Ballou, 2d
President, 1853 - 1861
“to act as a new agent in helping to form the genius of our own times, and in guiding the destinies of future generations.”
– Hosea Ballou, inaugural address, August 22, 1855
Born in Guilford, Vermont in 1796, Hosea Ballou, 2d pursued education from a young age, balancing life on the farm with formal schooling and private study. His drive for learning included creating formal opportunities for young men who sought to become Universalist ministers. Ballou eventually became one of the most prominent Universalist ministers in the country. Through collaboration and cooperation, he and his colleagues successfully advocated for the establishment of Tufts College. Though not the Trustees’ first choice for the new institution’s president, Reverend Ballou rose to the occasion when the call came, establishing a curriculum, engaging instructors to join him in the new College’s classrooms, and leading the new institution with warmth, humor, and vigor.
The College’s ceremonial opening was held on August 22, 1855, the start of the new academic year. Though it was not a formal inauguration, President Ballou gave an inaugural address that noted that work had only begun here on the Hill “to act as a new agent in helping to form the genius of our own times, and in guiding the destinies of future generations.”
Besides filling the role of College President, President Ballou served as “Professor of History, and of Intellectual Philosophy,” and as the College’s librarian-in-chief. Not only did he lend out his own rich library to students, he also worked to bring more volumes to the library through donations from friends, colleagues, and fellow scholars across the country. President Ballou died in office. The Class of 1897, in their History of Tufts College, 1854-1896, wrote:
President Ballou died May 21, 1861, worn out by overwork. His funeral occurred on the 31st. It was a beautiful day, and a special train from Boston brought to the Hill hundreds of friends who had loved and honored the departed President. Private services at the family residence were conducted by Dr. Leonard, after which the casket was escorted to the chapel by the officers and students of the college, all of whom wore bands of black crape upon the left arm. After an impressive service, in which an eloquent tribute was paid to Dr. Ballou by Dr. Miner, the body was borne to Mount Auburn Cemetery, where it was laid to rest.