Ogilby's Presidential Portrait by Martin Kennedy

Remsen Brinckerhoff Ogilby (1881-1943) was born on April 8 in Brunswick, New Jersey. Ogilby graduated from Harvard in 1902 with a scholarship that covered 40% of his expenses. He later graduated from the Episcopal Theological School in Cambridge, MA in 1907. After graduation, he set off to be an assistant at St. Stephen's Episcopal School in Boston. He taught at the Groton School in MA until 1909 when he became the headmaster of the Baguio School in the Philippines. During World War I, Ogilby was a chaplain in the U.S. Army. After the war, he taught at St. Paul's School in Concord, NH, and was appointed as President of Trinity College on April 24, 1920, at 39 years of age. He remained President until his death in 1943. At his inauguration on November 17, Ogilby gave a speech outlining Trinity as a “church college,” even though neither the faculty nor the student body was majority Episcopalian anymore. Ogilby held that Trinity was a church college because it accepted students of any religion and proceeded to present them with Christianity. Ogilby also promoted the idea of allowing all students, not just wealthy ones, to attend Trinity. His first official act as President was to grant his predecessor, Professor Henry A. Perkins, an honorary Doctor of Science degree.

From the beginning of his term, Ogilby favored the idea of Trinity being a “personal college.” Many alumni and current students were keen to expand the college's size in order to compete academically and athletically with schools like Harvard and Yale. Ogilby believed that an increase in size was possible, but not necessary, as a smaller college with a more personal feel would be the best course of action. He was known to lean out the window of his office on the Long Walk and have conversations with passing faculty and students. Students began to call him “Prexy,” and he would assist them in matters even including trouble with the police or financial issues. He attended most sports games and was an executive member of the National College Athletics Association. Also, under Ogilby, students were paired with faculty advisors.

Ogilby was very interested in politics and was a staunch supporter of the League of Nations. When the Hartford Courant published paid advertisements in support of Frank E. Brandegee, a Senate candidate who opposed the League of Nations, Ogilby went to the office of Emile Henry Gauvreau, the editor of the Courant, and demanded that he apologize publicly for the ads. When Gauvreau refused, Ogilby said he'd never read the Courant again.

High first-year fail rates and overall poor academic performance from Trinity students caused the alumni to criticize Ogilby for handling Trinity too much like a prep school, Due to this, the alumni, faculty, and Ogilby worked together to produce a new plan for the college. This plan created a quota for accepted students from Hartford as well as the building of a new chapel and gymnasium. The target number of students enrolled also doubled to 500. Out of this, only 125 students could be from Hartford. The goal of 500 students was reached in 1936 when there were 516 students enrolled.

One of Ogilby's largest projects while at Trinity was the creation of the Chapel. He led a daily service for the construction workers in the crypt. After construction was finished, he learned how to play the Plumb Carillion and later taught other members of the Trinity community to play. However, he did receive criticism from alumni and the Chemistry Department who accused him of favoring the Chapel over what they viewed as more important projects, such as a new chemistry building.

In March of 1936, Ogilby directed students in assisting the Hartford community after the Flood of 1936. Trinity students helped set up shelters, donated food and clothing, evacuated residents, manned a Red Cross auxiliary generator, and even pumped out basements under the eye of Ogilby.

Ogilby went on vacation for a few days in his summer home in Weekapaug, Rhode Island, in August 1943. Before his vacation, he had focused on encouraging students to not get distracted by the war in Europe and oversaw a joint summer school program with Wesleyan. On August 7, Ogilby attempted to rescue the family maid, Mary O'Connor, from drowning. O'Connor was a beginner at swimming and was not able to make it back to shore. Ogilby was able to hold her up until someone could help, but in the process, he had a heart attack and died before being able to make it to shore. He was succeeded in his presidency by Arthur H. Hughes. Ogilby Hall, a dormitory, was completed in 1941 and named for Ogilby after his death.

Trinity College in the Twentieth Century: A History (2000) by Peter and Anne Knapp, pp. 52-117.

History of Trinity College (1967) by Glenn Weaver, pp. 287-305.

Dr. Ogilby Drowns Saving a Servant..., 08/08/1943.

Trinity Tripod, 01/18/1921.

Trinity Tripod, 11/23/1920.