Preceded by Stephen Mallory Party Republican Party Name Adonijah Welch | Political party Republican Succeeded by Abijah Gilbert | |
 | ||
Born April 12, 1821
East Hampton, Connecticut ( 1821-04-12 ) Alma mater University of Michigan Law School Role Former United States Senator Died March 14, 1889, Pasadena, California, United States Books The Teachers' Psychology: A Treatise on the Intellectual Faculties, the Order of Their Growth, and the Corresponding Series of Studies by which They are Educated Education University of Michigan, University of Michigan Law School Similar People Robert Wexler, Ander Crenshaw, Adam Putnam, Carrie P Meek, Gus Bilirakis | ||
Previous office Senator (FL) 1868–1869 | ||
Adonijah Strong Welch (April 12, 1821 – March 14, 1889) was a United States Senator from Florida and the first president of Iowa State Agricultural College (now Iowa State University). Welch also served as Michigan State Normal School's first principal (now Eastern Michigan University)
Contents
Early life
Born in East Hampton, Connecticut, Welch moved to Jonesville, Michigan in 1839 and graduated from the University of Michigan in 1846. Welch was admitted to the bar in 1847 and became a high school principal in 1849. He spent about a year participating in the California Gold Rush of 1849.
Career
Welch served as the first principal of Michigan State Normal School (now Eastern Michigan University) from 1851 to 1865. In 1859, he married Eunice P. Buckingham and they had three children.
In 1865, Welch moved to Pensacola, Florida and eventually to Jacksonville, Florida for unspecified health reasons. There, he established a lumber mill and engaged in orange growing. His wife, Eunice, died in 1867 and, in 1868, he married Mary Beaumont Dudley with whom he had two more children.
As part of the post-Civil War Reconstruction, Florida was readmitted to the United States in 1868 and Welch was elected to the U.S. Senate as a Republican. He served in the Senate for less than nine months but declined renomination, opting instead to become the first president of Iowa State Agricultural College. He served as college president from 1869 to 1883 before resigning.
From 1885 until his death, Welch served as a psychology professor at Iowa State. In 1889, he died at his summer home in Pasadena, California. Adonijah Welch is interred at Iowa State College Cemetery in Ames, Iowa.
Welch Hall
On the south end of Eastern Michigan University, named after Welch, Welch Hall was constructed in 1895 and was completed three days after Starkweather Hall. Welch Hall is the second oldest building on the EMU campus. The building is designed after Georgian Revival Architecture style Architecture. The building's original name was the "Training School" and served as the Teacher Training School from 1896 to the 1960s. During the building's lifetime, Welch has served as classroom space and various department offices. Due to poor maintenance the building was closed during the 1980s and almost demolished. In 1984, Welch Hall was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Today, Welch Hall houses EMU’s executive offices which includes the Office of the President.