Nathan Lord

Nathan Lord (November 28, 1793 – September 9, 1870) was a U.S. Congregational clergyman and educator who served as president of Dartmouth College for more than three decades. He graduated from Bowdoin College in 1809, attended Andover Theological Seminary. He served as president of Dartmouth College from 1828 to 1863. Lord was able to bring the college out of debt, improve the overall curriculum, and raise admission levels. His views on slavery and his opposition to the Civil War brought a storm of controversy as the nation entered the Civil War, earning him the enmity of several members of the Board of Trustees, including Amos Tuck (1835), a founding member of the Republican Party, and close friend of Abraham Lincoln. Matters came to a head in 1863 when Lord prevented the granting of an honorary degree to President Lincoln. Ultimately, this resulted in actions by the Trustees that essentially warranted his removal from office. However, Lord tendered his resignation. He continued as an active member of the Dartmouth College community, in Hanover, New Hampshire, until his death in 1870.