Haven, E. O. (Erastus Otis), 1820-1881

Dates

• Existence: 1820 - 1881

Biography

Erastus Otis Haven was born on November 1, 1820 in Boston, Massachusetts. He graduated from Wesleyan University in 1842. He studied theology, specifically Methodism, and started his career as a pastor. He then went on to teach Latin and English. Haven married Mary Frances Coles Haven in the summer of 1946. He also served in the Massachusetts State Senate for two terms just before starting his career in education administration. He presided over the University of Michigan from 1863 to 1869, when he left to become president of Northwestern, the university’s sixth, until 1872. Most notably, Haven refused to accept the Board of Trustees invitation until it was agreed that women would be admitted to the university. His inauguration was combined with the dedication of University Hall. The Haven House dormitory for men on Northwestern’s North Campus (no longer standing) that housed 30 students was named after the former president. His daughter, Grace Haven Holmes, played a big role in the development of the Evanston public schools. After his time in Evanston, he went to serve as chancellor of Syracuse University.

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