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Frederick Carlos Ferry
Overview
Frederick Carlos Ferry (1868–1956) was the ninth president of Hamilton College, serving from 1917 to 1938 — a 21-year tenure second in length only to Simeon North’s presidency (1815–1839) in the college’s history. Ferry presided over Hamilton through America’s entry into World War I, the Roaring Twenties, Prohibition, and the full arc of the Great Depression. He was succeeded by William Harold Cowley in 1938.
Relevance to Research
Ferry’s presidency is extensively documented in the Hamilton Life corpus (1917–1942): 1,113 issues cover the entire span of his administration, from the wartime transition from Stryker through the Depression-era austerity measures of the mid-1930s. He appears at fraternity installations (notably the Lambda Chi Alpha Gamma Eta chapter installation, Feb. 22, 1924, where “Dr. and Mrs. Ferry” appeared in the receiving line), commencement addresses, trustee meetings, and major campus events. The Depression coverage arc in the Life — suspended curriculum, faculty pay cuts, yearbook abolition — took place entirely under his watch.
Notes
Role: 9th President of Hamilton College, 1917–1938 Key events: - Born 1868 - Succeeded M. Woolsey Stryker as president in 1917 - Presided over Hamilton’s transition from WWI mobilization to peacetime - Oversaw the Lambda Chi Alpha installation (Feb. 22, 1924) — the last new fraternity chapter established at Hamilton before coeducation; “Dr. and Mrs. Ferry” in receiving line - Frederick M. Davenport (NY Congressman, Hamilton professor) was a prominent faculty figure during Ferry’s tenure - Depression measures under Ferry: Ethics department suspended as an “economic measure” (Feb. 1933); 10% faculty salary cut announced at June 1933 commencement; yearbook formally abolished in its 77th year (1934) - Trustee meeting of May 2, 1933 (Elihu Root presiding) made “no comment” on overriding the Discipline Committee’s 3.2 beer ban despite FDR’s federal legalization - Retired 1938; succeeded by William Harold Cowley - Died 1956
Related Sources
Related Topics
- College Administration and Presidential Leadership
- Early Student Life (Pre-1940)
- WWII and Hamilton College