Kolbe, Parke Rexford, 1881-1942

Parke Rexford Kolbe, the Drexel Institute's fourth president, served from 1932 to 1942. He was educated as a linguist and was a scholar of higher education. Before coming to Drexel, Dr. Kolbe was president of the University of Akron from 1913 to 1925 and of the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn from 1925 to 1932. As Drexel's president, Dr. Kolbe presided over the changing of the school's name from the Drexel Institute of Art, Science, and Industry to the Drexel Institute of Technology, the decentralization of Drexel's administration, and the development of educational programs to support national defense. Dr. Kolbe died after a brief illness in 1942.

From the description of Parke R. Kolbe administration records, 1932-1941. (Drexel University Libraries). WorldCat record id: 62501757