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Alexander Hamilton
Overview
Alexander Hamilton (c. 1755–1804) was the first Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, the dominant force in Washington’s first cabinet, and the namesake of both Hamilton-Oneida Academy and Hamilton College. He served as the first trustee listed on the Academy’s founding charter and played a direct role in shaping New York’s early framework for public education.
Relevance to Research
Hamilton is the figure for whom Hamilton College takes its name. The Documentary History of Hamilton College (1922) — drawing on an address by Elihu Root at the unveiling of a statue of Hamilton on campus — establishes his significance not merely as a symbolic patron but as a participant in Kirkland’s Plan of Education. His committee in the New York Legislature reported the Act of 1787 that created the University of the State of New York, and he drafted that report. When Kirkland’s plan for the Academy was organized, Hamilton “became a part of it” and his name appears first among the founding trustees. Root argued that Hamilton was second only to Washington in creating the American Republic, stating that “if there had been no Hamilton, probably there would have been no Lincoln, because there would have been no Union for Lincoln to save.”
Notes
Born: January 11, 1755 or 1757, in Charlestown, Nevis, British Leeward Islands; born out of wedlock; orphaned as a child
Died: July 12, 1804, from wounds sustained in a pistol duel with Aaron Burr on July 11, 1804, in Weehawken, New Jersey
Education: Attended King’s College (now Columbia University) in New York City; received an M.A. from Columbia College in 1788
Military service: Artillery officer in the American Revolutionary War; served four years as aide-de-camp to George Washington; commanded a battalion at the climactic Siege of Yorktown (1781)
Political career: Delegate from New York to the Congress of the Confederation; delegate to the Constitutional Convention (1787), where he was the only New York signer of the Constitution; authored 51 of the 85 Federalist Papers; founded the Federalist Party in 1791
Secretary of the Treasury: First U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, confirmed September 11, 1789; served until 1795 under Washington; established the First Bank of the United States and national financial system
Marriage: Married Elizabeth Schuyler (daughter of General Philip Schuyler) on December 14, 1780; eight children
Role in New York education: His committee in the New York Legislature reported the Act of 1787 creating the University of the State of New York; Hamilton drafted the report; the first act of the Board of Regents under that system was to incorporate Hamilton-Oneida Academy
Role in Academy founding: Listed first among the founding trustees of Hamilton-Oneida Academy; the Academy was named in his honor; Hamilton College takes its name from the Academy and thus from him. Wikipedia’s Hamilton College article cites Ron Chernow’s biography: “Hamilton had championed a humane, enlightened policy toward the Indians…Through his interest in educating native Americans, Hamilton’s name came to adorn a college.” (Chernow, Alexander Hamilton, 2004, p. 337)
Relationship to Kirkland’s plan: Described as becoming personally connected to Kirkland’s Plan of Education through his advisory role; “Hamilton became a part of it”; he “collaborated with Kirkland in starting the school” (Wikipedia)
Statue at Hamilton College: A statue of Alexander Hamilton was unveiled at Hamilton College; Elihu Root gave the address at the dedication
Legacy: Hamilton founded America’s first political party (Federalist), the Bank of New York (1784), and the New-York Evening Post; served as President General of the Society of the Cincinnati; helped draft Haiti’s constitution (1801); historians regard him as an intellectually brilliant administrator and financier
Note on related entity: The Alexander Hamilton Institute is a separate, modern organization associated with Hamilton College faculty that also bears his name
Related Sources
- Documentary History of Hamilton College (1922)
- Alexander Hamilton — Wikipedia