Biographical information

              A.  S.   WELCH  L.  L.  D.
(President of I. S. C, 1869-1884)
Adonijah Strang Welch was  the first president and  the organizer of the Iowa
State College,  then known us  the Iowa Agricultural Collage•    he was born in East
»
jton, Connecticut, in 1831. In 1839 he emigrated to Miohtg -   re 1 e was
graduated from the University in the Academy f Romeo in 1346. Dr. Welch spent
the next year after hie     ti on in Detroit studying Lair. In 1847 he became
orincipal of the State Normal Scho 1 at Xpsilante, Michigan. Here he was president of the State Teachers' Assoc!;..-tion. P ; >r health sent htm to Florida in 1865
seeking rest and renewed strength. In 1867 L,    elected to the United States
Senate from Florida. In the f .llowing year he accepted the presidency of the
Iowa State College for which an appropriation h id just been made. He organized
ana opened this institution in 1869 and conducted iti    irs for fifteen years.
To his great ability as an executive is largely due the prominence which this
college has achieved among American institutions of its kind.
In 1384, Dr. Welc was commissioned to investigate the management f the
-icultural sch -Is of Europe, his failing health forced him to resign the presidency of the college on'his return from Europe. Later, however, he accepted
the c! air if history and psychology. He held this positi >n until his death in
Pasedena, California, March 14, 1890.
His wife, Mary vives him aad resides at L   igeles, Cal
ifornia. The following letter from Mrs. Welch reflects the beautiful spirit of
the woman who    f such gre^t assistance to her husband in those pioneer years
of the colle- :
1158 Vest «~3th SU, Eos igeles, Calif.
May 18, 191k..
Mr. Ward M. Jones:
My Dear Sir: Your letter to Mrs. St. i  been forwarded to me and I send
you a brief amount of the   Lnnin  >f—if I may dignify it by so scientific a
te—Home Economics, in the college at Ames. It will necessarily be altogether