Benjamin Hallowell

Who was Benjamin Hallowell?

Benjamin Hallowell was the first president of the Maryland Agricultural College.

In November 1819, he started his first official teaching position at Fair Hill Boarding School in Montgomery County, Maryland. In 1824, Hallowell opened a boarding school in Alexandria, Virginia. His most famous student was Robert E. Lee who studied at the school for a month before entering West Point.

On October 4, 1859 Hallowell was appointed as the first president of the Maryland Agricultural College. He would only accept the appointment on condition that the College not use slaves and he would not accept a salary. He helped to develop the College's curriculum, which included Ancient Languages, Modern Languages, Natural Sciences, English, and Mathematics. After one month of serving as the president, he resigned due to illness.