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Albert Charles Jacobs
Albert Charles Jacobs was president of Trinity College from 1953 to 1968.
Born on May 21, 1900 in Birmingham, Michigan, Jacobs received his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan in 1921 despite taking time off to serve as a private in the U.S. Army in World War I. He went on to pursue an advanced study of law at Oxford, where he received both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees (and where he rowed). Before coming to Trinity College, Jacobs was an experienced law professor, Provost at Columbia University, Chancellor at the University of Denver, and a captain in the U.S. Navy during World War II. During his time at Columbia, he worked on the political campaign of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was conducting his first presidential campaign at the time.
Jacobs was inaugurated on the 130th anniversary of Charter Day, May 16, 1953, as Trinity’s 14th President. At the height of the Cold War, Jacobs' inauguration speech carried the message of anti-Communism stridently. He addressed the primary goal of the College: “to promote the intellectual, physical, moral, and spiritual development of the young men entrusted to our care so that they may become intelligent, self-reliant, upright, and enlightened citizens and leaders.” Although he supported fraternities, he frowned on heavy drinking. In 1964, he took the bold step of trying to prohibit drinking by Trinity students under the age of 21.
During his presidency, Trinity hosted a variety of conferences and educational programs that corresponded to his interests in the Episcopal community and his wish to preserve Trinity’s Episcopal heritage. He eagerly welcomed a Conference in Theology for College faculty and the observance of National Christian College Day on April 25. Jacobs encouraged Trinity to join the Association of Episcopal Colleges, a newly founded group that included Kenyon, Hobart, and six other universities, including three historically Black colleges in the coastal South, St. Paul's, St. Augustine's, and Voorhees. 1) Still, he lost the battle to retain mandatory chapel, a compulsory student credit which was eliminated by vote of the Trustees in June 1965. President Jacobs favored the liberal arts curriculum at Trinity and attempted to improve the quality of academics by employing higher salaries for faculty that aimed to attract better quality professors, increasing selectivity of undergraduate enrollment, and improving scholarship assistance. He also supported the re-emergence of competitive rowing as a sport.
Additionally, the College took on a major fundraising campaign, the Program of Progress campaign, with the help of Albert Holland ’34, who had experience fundraising in the Hartford area. President Jacobs looked favorably on the local Hartford business community, agreeing that in exchange for accepting the philanthropic funding of Hartford leaders, the College would address the interests of the individuals in the surrounding areas by increasing the number of graduate programs directed towards economics, mathematics, and physics. The Trinity College Associates was founded in 1955 to ensure direct support from over 20 Central Connecticut businesses. He also addressed audiences of varied religious backgrounds. During the campaign for funding, Holland and Jacobs even created a short film titled ‘Neath the Elms that emphasized Trinity’s importance as a liberal arts college. The implementation of the Program of Progress campaign raised over $4.6 million and exceeded expectations, surpassing the initial dollar goal. As part of a program to support independent colleges, the Ford Foundation gave Trinity over $630,000 in the mid-1950s. These programs helped the College gain wider recognition.
Notable guests came to Trinity during Jacobs' tenure, such as President Dwight Eisenhower, Lionel Trilling, Carlos P. Romulo, and Robert Frost. Richard Nixon, then-Vice President of the U.S., made an impromptu visit for Sunday chapel service in 1960. Following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in April 1968, 168 students occupied the administrative buildings during a meeting between Jacobs and the Trustees of the College and refused to leave until a decision concerning scholarships for Black students that had been proposed by the student Senate was approved. Jacobs attempted to reject the proposal explaining that the Trustees would consider it further under minimal pressure, but the dissatisfied students refused to leave. After 30 hours of debate, an agreement between the administration and the students was reached.
During Jacobs’ presidency, the College saw some significant changes. The student population and the number of full-time faculty increased. The fundraising campaign had been successful and increased the College’s funds. In addition, multiple buildings were constructed or renovated, and Trinity improved its relationship with the surrounding Hartford community. Completed in 1968, the new building designated to the biology and psychology department was named the Albert C. Jacobs Life Sciences Center to honor Jacobs and his accomplishments at the College.
Jacobs retired on June 30, 1968. In his final year at the College, Jacobs' health deteriorated noticeably, as he underwent two major surgeries. In his retirement, he served as the president of the University of Michigan’s Emeritus Club until 1974. Jacobs died on October 29, 1976.
Preceded By
Succeeded By
Sources
Trinity College in the Twentieth Century: A History (2000) by Peter and Anne Knapp, pp. 184-186, 193-200, 207-210, 214-218, 223-224, 273-275.