William Arthur Ganfield
William Arthur Ganfield | |
|---|---|
Ganfield c. 1921 | |
| 6th President of Carroll College | |
| In office December 1, 1921 – July 1, 1939 | |
| Preceded by | Herbert Pierpont Houghton |
| Succeeded by | Gerrit T. Vander Lugt |
| 11th President of Centre College | |
| In office June 1, 1915 – December 1, 1921 | |
| Preceded by | Frederick W. Hinitt |
| Succeeded by | R. Ames Montgomery |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 3, 1873 Cascade, Iowa, U.S. |
| Died | October 18, 1940 (aged 67) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Clara Boardman (m. 1901) |
| Children | 5 |
| Education | Cornell College McCormick Theological Seminary University of Chicago |
William Arthur Ganfield (September 3, 1873 – October 18, 1940) was an American pastor, educator, and academic administrator who was president of Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, from 1915 to 1921, then of Carroll College (now Carroll University) in Waukesha, Wisconsin, until he retired in 1939.
A preacher in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Ganfield joined the history faculty at Carroll in 1904 and stayed until 1915, when he was elected president of what is now Centre College. He reversed decisions by his predecessor, Frederick W. Hinitt, to make the school nonsectarian; instead, he restored the school's close connection with the Presbyterian Church, leading to an increase in enrollment and a successful fundraising campaign. Centre saw athletic success during Ganfield's tenure, particularly in football: the 1919 team was retroactively recognized as national champions and the 1921 team defeated Harvard University in a noted upset. Ganfield, who had agreed to return to Carroll as its president, stipulated that he would not do so until after the Harvard game.
Ganfield took office at Carroll after the school's first lay president; he kept its ties to the church intact and maintained daily chapel attendance as a requirement for students. Enrollment and the endowment grew during his 19-year term, the latter to $800,000. Sports enjoyed increased attention and success; Norris Armstrong, a former member of Centre's football team, came to Carroll in 1923 to coach the football and basketball teams; both won league titles. Faculty pensions were introduced during the Great Depression, and fixed salaries were implemented as the faculty numbers grew. Ganfield retired in 1939 due to poor health and died the following year.