Lewis W. Green

Lewis Warner Green (January 28, 1806 – May 26, 1863) was a Presbyterian minister and educator and the ninth president of Hampden–Sydney College.

Early life

Lewis Warner Green was born in Danville, Kentucky, the twelfth and youngest child to Willis Green and Sarah Reed. Both of Green's parents died when he was a young boy, forcing him to live with his oldest brother, Judge John Green. He entered Transylvania University and completed the coursework through his junior year, but transferred to and graduated from Centre College because the "Presbyterians of the state, becoming dissatisfied with the infidel principles of (University President) Dr. Holley, had withdrawn their support from Transylvania". Green went on to study the Hebrew language at Yale College and also matriculated at the Princeton Theological Seminary but did not graduate from either due to an urgent call back to Kentucky.

Career

He served as a minister in Kentucky and professor beginning in 1831 at Centre College. Around 1840, he emancipated his slaves. Then in 1840 he went as a professor to the Western Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania. He later served as president of Hampden–Sydney College from 1849 to 1856 and for about a year as president of Transylvania University. He served from 1857 to 1863 as president of Centre College.

It was during Green's presidency at Hampden–Sydney that a disagreement arose between the faculty of the Richmond Medical College (now the Medical College of Virginia) and the Hampden–Sydney board of trustees in 1853. The medical faculty wanted the right to appoint any new member of their staff without the say of the board of Hampden–Sydney. This disagreement resulted in the Medical College being withdrawn from the benefits of the Hampden–Sydney charter, effectively becoming their own institution.

Death

He died on May 26, 1863.

His publications included the inaugural addresses at Hampden–Sydney in 1849 and at Transylvania in 1856. The later included a moderate attack on abolitionists. His Memoirs, published posthumously in 1871 also included a number of his more important sermons.