George A. Hubbell Papers

George A. Hubbell (1862-1943) was the LMU president between 1910-1922. He was born in Ohio, earned his bachelor's and master's degrees at Antioch College, then completed a doctorate at Columbia in 1902. He taught at Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn, Berea College, and Transylvania University and briefly for the Russell Sage Foundation.

Hubbell was an accomplished writer, pbulishing 5 books for different areas. He was serving as preident of Highland College in KY when his position was pulled. He married Ella M. Andrews, who had been the dean of women at Highland College, but moved to LMU to teach History and English. He reached out to Stooksbury in 1909s regarding how to develop the program, which weighed favorably for his presidency.

He became good friends with Kincaid, and the student recalled him fondly. He changed grading systems, introduced elective courses, and created flexibility for the BA program. He continued the Lincoln Centennial Endowment campaign. He spearheaded efforts to rebuild Grant-Lee Hall by recruiting donations of labor and material from local residents.

Hubbell published a publicity booklet, The Living Memorial to Lincoln, which argued for the name of the school as well as showcasing students life.

In 1917 he aquired the Grace Nettleton Home, created by Myers. He maintained seperate endwoments for its mainenance. He saw the contsrtuction of Norton Hall in 1912; the president's house in 1913; Blue Bird's Nest in 1920; and DAR Hall in 1920.

Many of his projects he looked to push did not last. He advocated for the department of American History, which fell to the wayside after the lack of funds and teachers.

He had announced the efforts to increase the university's endowments by $2 million and created an alumni association to help in the cause. But then resigned as president in 1922 when the endowment was at $750,000. During his time he had made several opponents on the board of trustees and other faculty.

After his regination, he and his wife Ella moved to Asheville, NC where he tried to create Asheville College foiled by the lack of funds. He then moved to Cleveland, TN to create a new college, but he "suffereed a physical collapse" and moved back to Asheville. Hubble was penniless and hitchkiking home to a brother's home in Ohio. Unfortunately after that, he became chronically ill and rapidly declined, spending the last eight years of his life in bed. He died in 1943.

Chapter 6 of Lincoln Memorial University and the Shapping of Applachaia.