Andrew Dickson White

Andrew Dickson White was an American historian, educator, and diplomat who co-founded Cornell University with Ezra Cornell and served as its first president from 1867 to 1885. He graduated from Yale University in 1853, taught history at the University of Michigan, and served as a New York state senator before dedicating his efforts to Cornell's growth. White also held diplomatic posts as U.S. minister to Germany and Russia, and ambassador to Germany, and authored works on the conflict between science and religion.