Barbour, Clarence A. (Clarence Augustus), 1867-1937

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Tenth President of Brown University, 1929-1937; Baptist clergy.

Graduated from Brown in 1888.

From the description of Clarence A. Barbour papers, 1923-1943, (bulk 1926-1936). (Brown University). WorldCat record id: 86167724

Clarence Augustus Barbour was born in Hartford, Connecticut on April 21, 1867 to Judge Humphrey and Myra Barker Barbour. After attending Hartford High School, Barbour entered Brown University in 1882. While a student at Brown, Barbour taught courses in the Providence Evening School, and in his senior year, became the principal of the Richmond Street Evening School. He was also very active in clubs and was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon. Following his graduation in 1888, Barbour moved on to attend Rochester Theological Seminary in Rochester, New York. Upon his graduation from seminary in 1891, Barbour became the pastor for the Lake Avenue Baptist Church in Rochester, where he stayed until 1909.

While working as a pastor, Barbour also became a leader in working for better schools and against political corruption. When he left the Lake Avenue Baptist Church in 1909, Barbour became the associate secretary of the Religious Work Department of the International Committee of the Young Men’s Christian Association. In 1915, Barbour was named the Wyckoff Professor of Homiletics and president of the Rochester Theological Seminary. As president of the seminary, Barbour was instrumental in the merging of Colgate Theological Seminary and Rochester Theological Seminary to form the Colgate Rochester Divinity School in 1928, now known as Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School.

By unanimous vote, Barbour was elected president of Brown University in October of 1928. As president, Barbour was very active in reaching out to alumnae, churches, professional associations and many other groups to help build the endowment and reputation of Brown University. In September of 1931, Barbour and his wife, Florence Newell Barbour, left on a nine month trip to Asia as part of the Laymen’s Committee on Foreign Missions supported by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. The Commission was to appraise the activities and effect of missions in Japan, China, Burma and India.

Though Barbour attempted to grow and change Brown, the Great Depression made it difficult to achieve these goals. Instead, Barbour served to simply maintain Brown, and keep the school healthy through the crisis of the Depression. In 1935, Barbour suffered a nervous breakdown. Then, in 1936, Barbour suffered an attack of appendicitis and never fully recovered. He died on January 16, 1937.

(Information from the Encyclopedia Brunonia was included in this biographical note)

From the guide to the Clarence A. Barbour papers, Barbour (Clarence A.) papers, 1923-1937, (John Hay Library Special Collections)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Faunce, William Herbert Perry, 1859-1930. William Herbert Perry Faunce papers, 1845-1930,n.d. (bulk 1890s-1929). Brown University Archives, John Hay Library
creatorOf Pershing, John Joseph, General of the Armies, 1860-1948. Letter, 1924, April 18, Washington, to Doctor Clarence A. Barbour, Rochester Theological Seminary. Brown University Archives, John Hay Library
creatorOf Clarence A. Barbour papers, Barbour (Clarence A.) papers, 1923-1937 John Hay Library, Special Collections
referencedIn Roscoe Pound Papers Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138
referencedIn William Ernest Hocking papers Houghton Library
referencedIn Barbour, Florence Newell, 1866-1946. High lights : autobiographical notes, [ca.1933-1945], Hollywood, Calif. Brown University Archives, John Hay Library
creatorOf Barbour, Clarence A. (Clarence Augustus), 1867-1937. Letters, 1933-1934, Providence, R.I., to Philip D. Sherman, Oberlin, Ohio. Brown University Archives, John Hay Library
referencedIn Barbour, Mrs. Clarence A. : [miscellaneous ephemeral material]. Metropolitan Museum of Art, Thomas J. Watson Library
referencedIn Ben W. Brown papers, Brown (Ben W.) papers, (bulk 1930-1952), 1916-1952 John Hay Library, Special Collections
referencedIn Community Art Project records, 1932-1943 Rhode Island School of Design Archives.
creatorOf Barbour, Clarence A. (Clarence Augustus), 1867-1937. Clarence A. Barbour papers, 1923-1943, (bulk 1926-1936). Brown University Archives, John Hay Library
Role Title Holding Repository
Place Name Admin Code Country
East Asia
India
China
Subject
Poets, American
Missions
Occupation
Activity

Person

Birth 1867-04-21

Death 1937-01-16

Information

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