Adonijah Strong Welch, a native of Connecticut, received his B.A. (1846) and M.A. (1852) from the University of Michigan. He served as the first president (1852-1865) of the Michigan State Normal School (Eastern Michigan University) until he was forced to move to Florida for health reasons. He was a U.S. Senator (1868-1869) for Florida when he accepted the position of President (1869-1883) of the newly established Iowa State Agricultural College (Iowa State University). After resigning as President, Dr. Welch continued to teach at the Iowa State until his death in 1889. Dr. Welch helped develop Iowa State's first courses in agriculture and mechanic arts, was instrumental in the design of the early campus, and was supportive of the rights of women to obtain an education. His wife, Mary B. Welch, established the first domestic sciences courses.
Dr. Welch married Eunice P. Buckingham in 1859, and had 3 children with her prior to her death in 1867. He then married Mary Beaumont Dudley in 1868, and they had 2 children. Dr. Welch died in 1889 in Pasadena, California.
From the description of Papers, 1849-1988. (Iowa State University). WorldCat record id: 53446916
